The Ninja of Unlimited Blades
by chimmon
Summary: Shirou was saved from the fire that consumed his village by a young ninja called Haku. Now, he seeks to become a useful tool to Zabuza, just like she is.
1. Zabuza's Apprentice 1

Shirou gazed over the battlefield. His chakra-enhanced eyesight focused on the fight. His role in this confrontation was as a lookout. His bow was held low and parallel to his leg, next to his quiver. He had to keep his posture rigid to maximize the area that he could see. Unfortunately, such an act left him visible to everyone else. That is if they had time to concentrate on something aside from the enemy in front of them. The un-notched bow was another concession to stealth. He was unable to properly hide, but he could at least obscure the fact that he was an archer from prying eyes. Shirou ruefully acknowledged that his skill with projectiles probably wouldn't come into play. His arrows went exactly where he wanted them to go, but that didn't mean they'd always hit their mark. Every second they were in flight gave his target time to counter the attack, and ninjas had ample ways to do so. He knew he shouldn't feel slighted at being left out. A ninja did what was needed. A part of him refused to accept that. The same part that wanted to be used. It was his purpose after all.

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10 years ago...

Fire was how the boy died, and ice was how he was born. His first memories were of death. A great fire that had consumed everything it touched. For an eternity he'd walked through it while people on all sides died. The stench of so many bodies. The heat from the flames. The weariness of his muscles as he finally ran out of energy. The darkness that consumed him was a welcome relief. The recollections of his birth were even more disjointed. There was a wonderful cold. A flash of gold. A rough voice. "..wish.." The clear blue of the sky and ice. Most importantly, there was a smile. What could make someone smile like that? He had to know. He'd follow that smile until he found out why.

Later he would know the smiler as Haku. She had immediately left with a large man with bandages around his mouth and neck. The boy followed. One step at a time, mile after mile, he followed. For long periods of time he'd lose sight of the pair of them, but his need to know about that smile drove him onwards. Hours turned to days. Days turned to weeks. Time had lost all meaning, but still he pursued her. At some point it had become too much, and the boy lost consciousness.

He awoke to cool water being dribbled through his parched lips and down his raw throat. The bandaged man loomed over him. "You're persistent, I'll give you that. Tough too. Even a chunin would be hard-pressed to follow us non-stop for as long as you did. Your tracking is horrible though. As is your perceptiveness. I don't think you're even a ninja. So tell me, who are you?"

The boy blinked. He didn't know. "I..I don't know."

"That's an interesting accent you got there. Strange hair too. Tell me why you were following us. If I don't like your answer, I'm gong to start removing pieces."

"The girl... her smile... I need to know why."

"Why?"

"Why she smiled. Why she was happy."

The bandaged man stared at him. "Either you're the single best spy I've ever seen. Or you're a complete moron." He glanced to the side. "Haku! He's your responsibility. We've wasted too much time running in circles because of a civilian with a crush. Kill him, leave him here, or carry him yourself, but we're leaving. Now."

The boy moved his head to the right, and saw the girl sitting there. The cup she held must've been the source of the water earlier. She wore a brown shirt that was too big for her. "Yes, Zabuza-sama." She then turned to him. "Can you walk?"

The boy nodded. He was so close, he couldn't stop now. She handed him the wooden cup filled with clear water. It tasted like ambrosia, but by the time he'd finished the girl was already several yards away. It took all his energy to catch up. It was only then that he noticed the gigantic sword the large man wore across his back. The boy's eyes were drawn it to it. Something about that sword radiated power, and distracted him during their walk. Thankfully, the pair stopped to camp only a few hours later. The girl brought him more water, that he greedily drank. The two of them sat around the campfire that Zabuza had made. The older man had gone somewhere, so for now it was just him and Haku. Once he was done drinking, he fell asleep again.

He awoke to the smell of something cooking, and a change of lighting. There were slabs of some animal on sticks over the fire. The boy brought his had up to shade his eyes from the morning sun. "Ah, you're awake." Haku exclaimed from closer to the fire. She brought over a cup of water, and one of the skewers. "Here, eat this. Zabuza-sama said that we're far enough from the Village Hidden in the Mist to stop for a while." The smell of cooking flesh nauseated him some. Hunger and the fact that it was just venison won out quite quickly. "Easy, your stomach is empty. You should eat slowly. Rebuild your strength." He nodded, and obediently chewed slower. "So you don't know your own name?"

"I don't remember."

"What do you remember?"

"Fire. Then ice. You and your smile. Walking. That's all... Oh! and that huge sword!"

"Yeah, Zabuza-sama's sword is something else isn't it?" Haku let out a small smile. "Your village was burning. Mist ninjas put the entire populace to the torch, just to be sure none of them were blood-line users. I managed to save you, but everyone else was killed." He nodded, accepting what had happened. "So you don't remember anything else? Not even your name? Or your family?"

"No, sorry." He took another small bite.

"Well, we have to call you something. Here, my name is Haku Yuki." She drew some symbols in the ground. "It means 'White Snow'. We need to pick something for you."

"How about 'Haku'?"

"That's my name! You have to have something else. Think how confusing it'd be!"

He nodded. That made sense, but he still though she had the best name. "How about 'Shiro Yuki'?"

"'White Snow' huh? Let's be a little more original. Well, I like Shiro, but you can't be a 'Yuki' - that's my clan's name."

"I don't think I have a clan, so does that mean I only get one name."

"I guess so? Also, both of us being 'White' might get confusing. Why not 'Shirou'? See, it can be written in a lot of ways."

The boy looked at the different symbols on the ground. He nodded, and pointed at one set. "Then my name is 'Shirou'."

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Zabuza entered the clearing he'd set up camp in. Haku had nursed the boy back health, or at least consciousness. The missing nin had been observing their interaction while hidden. Haku was too valuable of a tool to risk with an unknown. Once she was trained, she'd be able to handle herself, but now she was just a child. She could already instinctively use her clan's ice techniques without any training. Given time the girl would become a fine ninja. This boy - Shirou as he was now calling himself - might also be a valuable tool. Obviously untrained, but possessing astounding physical resilience for one so young. Haku might have saved him from the fire, but the fact that he had no burns meant he'd healed himself. Bright red hair. Incredible healing abilities. There was one clan with a powerful blood-limit that matched. It had been dispersed from the Land of Whirlpools, which wasn't far away. Uzumaki was still a common surname. Lots of people possessed it that didn't have any of the once famous clan's traits. Shirou's hair was orange, not red. If he was an Uzumaki, it was probably from a branch family. In any case, the boy was infatuated with Haku. He could use that. They'd both be shaped into tools of the highest caliber.

"Haku!" The young girl sprang up as he called her name.

"Yes, Zabuza-sama!"

"We'll start your training today. Boy, have you remembered anything?"

"No, sir."

"His name is 'Shirou'." Haku volunteered.

"So you remembered your name. And that doesn't count as something?" Zabuza leaked the barest of killing-intent. Best to establish himself from the start.

"No." Shirou started at him with golden eyes, showing no sign that he was intimidated. "I picked it myself."

So, a strong enough will to resist cringing. That was good. As long as he didn't step out of line that is. "Come Haku, we'll start with taijutsu."

"What about Shirou, Zabuza-sama?"

"Let him clean up the camp. He'll train with us tomorrow." The jonin's words were accepted as fact. Shirou would train and become a ninja, Zabuza had no use for him otherwise.

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Shirou picked himself up off the ground. Haku stood over him, a dispassionate look on her face. Zabuza stood off to the side. "Again!" The two children faced off with one another, and in a few seconds Shirou had once more been knocked onto his back. "Shirou, this is unacceptable. You still aren't using your chakra. Without it enhancing your body, your taijutsu will always be pathetic."

"I'm trying Zabuza-sama!" Shirou hung his head. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to become a tool. If he couldn't serve his precious people by being a tool for them, why was he even born? Was he cursed with a chakra pool so small as to be unusable. "Do I even have chakra?"

"Everyone has chakra. Even the lowliest street urchin. Even if your natural capacity is low, or if your chakra coils are malformed. Everyone has it, it's just a question of utilizing it."

"What if I don't have much, and my coils are damaged?"

"Then you'd still be able to use it to empower your body. I know you have stamina, and that's what determines how quickly body-chakra regenerates. So a low limit, or the inability to mix body and mind chakra together wouldn't be a hindrance at all."

"I'll get better then."

"Yes, but in the meantime, Haku's development is stalled. If you can't be a strong enough opponent for her, then she'll only ever improve by sparring with me." Zabuza didn't like that idea. One of the reasons he'd agreed to take Shirou in was to help Haku's development. As an active Jonin, he was still expected to perform a minimum number of missions. If the coup was to succeed, he'd need Haku to be ready.

"I, I have an idea sir."

"Oh?"

"Can I try with a sword?"

"You have a kunai."

"I meant a proper sword, like Zabuza-sama uses."

The bandaged shinobi stroked his chin. "It's unlikely that you'd be able to hurt Haku even with a sword. I suppose she could use the practice against armed opponents. Very well." Zabuza only used Kubikiribocho - one of the seven swords of the Mist. While he wasn't about to let anyone else use his legendary blade, he had already procured some swords of high quality for his students. Most ninjas outside of the Hidden Mist didn't bother with bukijutsu beyond kunai. Zabuza was one of the best that used a sword. He firmly believed that one must be able to use a weapon, even if it wasn't your preferred attack method. It helped to know how to defend against a similarly equipped opponent. He hadn't been planning on having them practice with swords for a while. Shirou's idea had some merit. This way Haku would get something out of their sparring sessions. Even if it was just how to disarm someone.

Shirou went to where they stored the weapons, and selected a katana. The boy had a good eye. The blade he'd chosen was the finest of what Zabuza had gathered. It's handle and scabbard were unadorned. The redhead had chosen the one who's length and weight would suit him best. It took a good swordsman to recognize great steel at a glance - or Shirou had just been lucky. Under his bandages, Zabuza frowned. The way the boy held his blade, he hadn't taught him that. The boy's form was natural and at ease, the katana already seemed like an extension of his arm. Was this muscle memory from before the fire? Had the boy received training previously?

Haku sprang into motion first. She led with a feint to the right, but Shirou's now increased reach caused her to pull up short. Shirou's counter was aimed at her shoulder - what would've been a flesh wound. Zabuza watched closely. Again and again Shirou aimed at spots that weren't just non-lethal. They would be little more than a scratch if they connected. Haku's superior strength was negated by the fact that she had to dodge every attack. Her endurance would be going down quicker too due to her increased movements. She still retained her speed advantage. It was mitigated somewhat by the sword-wielder's increased reach. Haku was so much faster than Shirou that it didn't take her too long to adapt. Once she got inside of Shirou's swing, the fight was over, or so Zabuza thought. In a surprising move, Shirou tossed his blade from his right hand to his left while reversing his grip. This brought the sword right up against his chest and forced Haku to retreat. Not to be detured, Haku came back in quicker than before. Shirou's guard wasn't as good with his left hand. One leg sweep later and the fight was over.

"Much better. You two can spar like that from now on." Zabuza expected Shirou to smile at his small victory, but the boy just nodded and resumed his stance. Perhaps Shirou would make something more than just a camp helper. A loyal servant, even one that was below genin level, was quite useful for a number of things. The fact that he was a natural swordsman...well, that just made Zabuza feel a little warm inside. He probably wouldn't be much help in the coup for anything more than a lookout or cannon fodder.

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Another grueling day of sparring was over. Haku sat relaxing next to the fire. Shirou insisted on doing all the chores around their campsite. He even went so far as to try and do them stealthily so that no one else would get the chance. It'd be kind of cute if he was capable of moving silently. Instead, she kept on being woken up far too early. She'd never say that out loud. Zabuza-sama might hear. If she was to be of use to him, she couldn't balk at something so banal as not sleeping in. Their sensei had left them alone for almost a month now. He had duties in the Village Hidden in the Mist. She hoped he'd come back soon. Shirou wasn't bad company, but he wasn't Zabuza-sama. Her fellow apprentice didn't want her for the very ability that made her an outcast. Not like Zabuza-sama did. Shirou came from the fire and sat down next to her. The redhead handed her a plate with some grilled fish and steamed vegetables on it. The boy had taken to cooking with a gusto. She was still better, but Shirou's skill had grown considerably.

"Haku. Can I ask you something."

"Sure."

"Your smile. I've seen again a few times around Zabuza-sensei, but I still don't know why." Shirou was incredibly straightforward. Annoyingly so at times.

Haku resisted the urge to roll her eyes. From anyone else, it would've been a corny pickup line. Over the past few months, she'd gotten to know Shirou. Her fellow trainee just didn't think that way. He could say something like "Being nice is good." with a completely straight face. No sarcasm, just conviction. So when he asked about her smile, she knew she shouldn't take it at anything more than face value. "I smile when I'm happy."

Shirou nodded at the answer. His golden eyes looked off to the side as he thought about this revelation. "So being around Zabuza-sensei makes you happy."

"It does."

"What about when you saved me from the fire? Were you happy then because of Zabuza-sensei?"

"In a way... I mean he told me to look for survivors, and I was happy when I found them."

"Would you have been happy if you'd just done it on your own?" Shirou was now asking if she was happy she saved him.

Haku suppressed the instinct to assure him she was glad he didn't die. He seemed really fixated on this point. In fact, this was the 3rd time he'd tried to get her to explain her emotions. If she sugarcoated things, he'd just bring it up later. "I would've been happy, but probably not AS happy."

"So you do smile for Zabuza-sensei."

"I smile because he's precious to me. I don't have many precious people, so I want to protect the ones I do have."

"If you had saved Zabuza-sensei, would you have smiled more?" Kami, she hoped he wasn't going to do something stupid to see how'd she smile.

"Zabuza-sama would never need rescuing. Just helping him is enough for me." The food was going to get cold. Why was he so focused on this?

"Helping people..." Shirou was about to continue, but a raised hand from Haku stopped him.

"Did you hear something?"

Shirou reached for his sword. Training from Zabuza had drilled in the importance of always having it close by. His eyes flicked back and forth. A senbon pierced his chest. The small dart had come from the East. A soft rustling from the right made Haku instinctively dodge to the left. The second senbon missed her, and a figure emerged from the darkness. It was a teenage girl with short brown hair. She was wearing a Hidden Mist forehead guard. Shirou began to stand, but halfway up his knees buckled. Haku's mind raced. The senbon was poisoned. Was Shirou dead, unconscious, or just weakened? For him, pretending to be out of the fight wasn't a likely option. Haku could hear movement in the woods from two other directions. A 3 person team. The girl must've been the stealthiest of them. Now that her surprise attack had failed, she was trying to provide a distraction for her teammates to get into position.

Options. Haku could run. That would abandon Shirou - if he was still alive. She could never do that. Not only did she care for him, but failing to protect one of Zabuza's precious tools was inexcusable. She could fight. If Shirou could provide backup, the odds wouldn't be very mismatched. However, she was on her own. Her only option was to strike first and reduce the odds against her. The kunai was flying even before she hit the ground from dodging. The female ninja's eyes grew wide. Her reflexes weren't good enough, and the sharp blade plunged into her throat. Haku winced. She didn't want to kill anyone. Disabling with a thrown kunai just wasn't possible. Any hit that wasn't fatal could be endured.

"Megumi!" The cry came from the left. "I'll kill you for that!" Two male teenagers ran into the clearing. The duo had abandoned all pretense of stealth. They both wore Hidden Mist forehead guards. Haku dashed forwards to engage the rest of the ninja cell that had found her. Her target wasn't taken by surprise, and nimbly jumped over her leg sweep. His partner was on them in a second, swinging a broadsword. He wasn't as quick as Shirou, and Haku sidestepped his attack. The first ninja had regained his footing, and proceeded to launch a flurry of punches.

The combined assault drove her back. She was quick. Against two skilled opponents, it wasn't enough. Haku cartwheeled away. When the first Hidden Mist ninja followed, she threw the dirt she'd picked up in his face. The maneuver caught him off-guard. Her follow-up of a kick to the solar plexus was cut short by a sword stroke that nearly took her leg. Haku focused on her weapon-wielding antagonist. He was too slow in recovering from his attack. She surged inside of his reach.

The second ninja dropped his sword to free his hands. That sacrifice allowed him to block Haku's elbow strike. The force of the blow pushed him back. Again, before she could follow up, the first Hidden Mist ninja was on her. The second joined the fight a moment later. His taijutsu wasn't as good, but now that they were attacking in tandem. Haku took some solid blows. The pain distracted her. She wasn't used to being injured in her spars with Shirou. Thankfully Zabuza-sama wasn't as coddling, and was far more skilled. Ideally, she'd put them both on the defensive with a single move. Then she could capitalize on the lull to take out the weaker of the two. Unfortunately, Haku didn't have time for a large motion attack like a leg sweep. Instead she ducked to the right, putting the more skilled opponent between her and his partner. She'd circle around so that the first ninja was between them at all times. It was a handicap, but not as severe as having to dodge two sets of attacks.

From the corner of her eyes, Haku saw something that made her blood freeze. A figure was crouching over the fallen female ninja. It was an adult and he was performing a jutsu that made his hand glow green. She cursed herself. She'd only heard 3 people, but that didn't mean there weren't more. These three were now obviously genin, which meant they'd have a leader with them. By the looks of it, he was a jonin. This changed everything. She knew she couldn't win a fight, or even run away. Surrender meant death. Haku's mind froze. What could she possibly do in this situation?

Unfortunately for her, the two Hidden Mist genin didn't have any such startling revelations. Their attacks continued. Haku was in a daze. She tried putting room between herself and both her opponents. A burst of speed gave her some space, but she tripped over the log Shirou had been sitting on. The two teenagers moved to flank her while she was prone. Haku frantically looked around. Three feet away Shirou laid on the ground. His eyes were closed. A small voice in Haku's mind said that was a good sign. He was more likely unconscious then dead. His sword was on the ground next to him. It had given him a huge advantage in their spars. She wasn't a natural like Shirou, and Zabuza-sama hadn't trained her yet... Still, if she could just get his sword...

Pain blossomed across the bridge of her nose. The world went dark, and spots swum across her vision. One of the ninjas had kicked her in the face. Another kick went to her stomach. All her training went away, as she rolled into a ball. Her attempts to shield herself provided some amount of protection. However, her complete change to defense meant that the two teenagers on her no longer had to hold back. Blow after blow rained down. She'd failed. Haku was no longer Zabuza-sama's tool. Once again she was that scared little girl that was lost and alone. The certainty of her death felt like a frozen hand clutching her heart. One of the boys was screaming. Haku could no longer understand him. The cold inside of her was too much. It was building up. She needed a release. She had to escape. The ice reacted to her primal fear, and exploded in a sphere of jagged icicles.

Haku opened her eyes. It had seemed like an eternity, but she knew no more than a few seconds had passed. Two bodies lay near her. There was surprisingly little blood, despite their multiple puncture wounds. The icicles froze even as they perforated. She tried to stand up on her shaky legs. Her heart raced. The world was unsteady. Her breath was raspy as she looked around the clearing. Shirou! The ring of frost encompassed him, but the shards of ice hadn't struck his prone body. Good. Good. Wait. There was something she was forgetting...

A hand lifted her from behind. Haku tried to pry the fingers from her throat, but they were like iron. "You witch. You killed my genin. I thought we got rid of all the filth like you." The hand squeezed. Haku couldn't breath. The world began to fade again. Her weak kicks and pitiful scratching had no effect. "I'm going to enjoy this. They didn't deserve what you did to them. You, on the other hand, richly deserve this." The voice had gotten quieter.

Haku tried to summon the ice again, but whatever reserves she had were spent. Lack of oxygen was keeping her from thinking straight. If only she could have seen Zabuza-sama one more time before she died. Suddenly she was free. Turning around, she saw her precious person. He had Kubikiribocho drawn, held in one hand. At his feet was the headless body of the jonin. Haku hadn't even heard the body hit the ground.

"Looks like I need to teach you some chakra control."

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Zabuza sent Haku and Shirou ahead. The boy had been poisoned. Fortunately, it had only been one of the kinds that made you lose consciousness. A forcefully administered soldier pill got him back on his feet. He'd crash in a few days, but if they weren't in a safe place by then it wouldn't matter. 4 bodies. Correction, 3 bodies and one unconscious female ninja. What to do with her? The jonin -Takiyama - was a decent medical nin, but his stances were too in-line with the Mizukage's. His death would only help in the long run. Right now the short run was the more pressing issue. Killing a genin was pointless. Could he use her to throw the ANBU off the trail? No. That was stupid. Giving away information you couldn't control was a bad idea. Zabuza didn't know what the unconscious female had seen or heard. She'd have to meet the same fate as her sensei.

His apprentices had to leave the main island. They might even have to leave the Land of Water. That would be inconvenient. He had to spend a minimum of time here, or else he'd run the risk of being suspected. At worst they might even label him a missing nin. The travel time would cut into his training of Haku. Worst, he couldn't very well always spend all his time outside the village in one location. That would bring the hunter nins faster than anything. At least she had a sparring partner. That was better than nothing. He hoped.

There was a lot of evidence here. Zabuza took out a sealing scroll and stored away all their equipment. Next, he needed to hide the bodies, but first all traces of Haku's ice needed to be wiped away. He could only use this technique by using the full 77 hand seals. The effect also wasn't very strong with only one person's chakra powering it. Still, the right tool for the right job.

"Water Release: Grudge Rain!"

The water this localized storm produced would not only melt Haku's ice, it would also wash away all other chakra. Unfortunately, it wouldn't remove his own. If the bodies were found too early, his chakra and the decapitations would single him out as a suspect. Time to hide the bodies then.

"Water Release: Bottomless Swamp!"

The ground in a 20 meter radius was reduced to more liquid than solid. Zabuza stood back and watched the four bodies slowly sink into the swamp. He maintained the technique for an hour. With any luck, they'd never be found. Takiyama and his genin team would be declared missing nins. This effectively destroyed all their tracks. The problem was that it now left a ninja teams tracks that abruptly vanished. Genin weren't exactly known for their great stealth. Shirou and Haku's tracks could be found exiting the radius too. Still, it was the best he could hope for. All such clues would be swallowed by nature - given time.

Now, where to go? The Land of Waves or the Land of Noodles were close, but still too far. Plus, they'd have border patrols. It was something to consider when Haku was more advanced. Evading the ninja of minor lands would be good practice. Did Waves even have a village now? No, it had to be one of the other islands in the Land of Water. He'd leave it up to where the first boat they found was heading.

Even with a substantial head start, Zabuza caught up to his apprentices in half an hour.

"Zabuza-sama!" "Zabuza-sensei!"

"We have to leave the main island now. You need to do so in as open a way as possible. I want our next camp to last longer." The two children looked ashamed. "Give me the rest of your equipment." Shirou handed over his sword, and a backup kunai. Haku had several kunai and a spool of ninja wire. Zabuza sealed the gear in another scroll. He also unsealed a worn looking bow and quiver. The weapon was sized for an adult, but he handed it and a bag of ryo to Shirou. "Claim that you're a hunter's son. Fishermen are more common, but that will explain the bow. Haku, you're his younger sister. You parents died, and you're looking for other family members. Head East, then hug the coast. Take the first boat you can book passage on that staying in the Land of Water. I'll shadow you, but we can't talk during the trip. I'll probably stowaway on the ship. At the next island, find a place to live. We'll meet up there."

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried out. He turned and patted her on the head.

"This isn't a punishment, think of it as a test. You both have good enough skills to survive on your own. I want you to know that." The bandage around his mouth did a poor job of concealing his smile. "Even if it was sloppy, winning against three genin is quite the accomplishment."

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"What's our mother's name?"

"Kumi."

"Our father?"

"Macunochi."

"When were you born?"

"In the fall."

"What date?"

"I don't know for certain."

"When was I born."

"The summer."

"The date?"

"I don't know."

"Who are we going to see?"

"Our uncle."

"His name?"

"Mashiba."

"What does he do?"

"Haku, this is the hundredth time we've gone over this."

"We have to be sure our stories don't have any inconsistencies! All it'll take is one slip-up for us to be found out!"

"I still don't see why you want me to miss 'about 1 in 4 shots'."

"A real hunter's son would be good with the bow, but not that good."

"And you think they're going to ask me to prove that I can use a bow?"

"They might. Or someone might watch us."

Shirou looked at his 'little sister' with a flat stare. "You're being paranoid."

"It's only paranoia if they aren't out to get you."

"Ugh. We've been going over our covers for three days now! I think we have them down."

"No. I have them down. You're the worst liar I've ever met. You need the practice."

"And how many liars have you met? How did you know they were liars?"

"Shut up."

"Why would a ship captain interrogate his passengers?"

"He's cautious. There's a law or embargo in place. He keeps strict records. He's a ninja. Pick one."

"No ship captain is like that."

"How many ship captains have you met."

"Exactly. Now from the top. What's our mother's name?"

The first day Shirou had thought Haku very clever for working out their fake past to such a degree. The second day, he thought she was being thorough. By the third day, he was certain she'd become mentally imbalanced. Now, there was no helping it. At least it helped pass the time. Zabuza-sensei had told them which way to go. Even if they hadn't, it was an island. They were bound to hit the shoreline eventually. Or so everyone said. At what point did an island stop being an island? Shirou thought that "continent" was more appropriate. At least he got to practice with the bow. It was more convenient for hunting than kunai. Haku complained about his aim being too good. Apparently, REAL hunters missed on occasion. Which made no sense in Shirou's mind. He'd never met a hunter, but shouldn't they be skilled at their job?

It took another day to reach the ocean. Two more brought them to the village of Kawagama. It was a nice town Shirou thought. It certainly was the biggest village he'd ever seen, but for some reason he thought of it as small. Real cities were much more crowded. He just knew it. The buildings were awfully small as well. The pair of them went to the docks and asked about departing ships. They were in luck. A ship was set to leave with the tide in two hours.

"Shirou. Be ready. The verbal jousting is about to begin. Every sentence is both a parry and a thrust. You must hide your real resolve. Fool your opponent into thinking they can see right through you! Don't give them anything real. Be memorable, but instantly forgettable!" Haku whispered last minute advice to him as they approached the ship. A gruff looking man with a wild unkempt black beard called out to them.

"I see you're interested in the Dirty Wolf."

"Is that the name of your ship."

"Aye."

"We'd like to speak to you about pro..." Shirou wanted to say 'procuring passage', but Haku elbowed him. "..uhm... getting on board? Captain."

"Har har har! I'm not the Captain. I'm the first mate! Don't know much about sailing do ya lad? The Captain don't have time to worry about passengers."

"Oh, well, where are you.. going to go?"

"Our target's The Land of Noodles, but we're hitting lots of ports on the way. The first one is Dousei. Going that far will be one thousand ryo for the two of you."

Zabuza had given them three thousand ryo. Haku whispered "Haggle!"

"Well, we have our own food." Shirou motioned at the rabbit pelts he was carrying.

"If you don't eat anything, and share a bunk... I'll let you on for 500 ryo."

"Ok." Shirou brought out the money, and prepared for the line of questioning. They'd gotten this much from their parents. They'd been saving up for passage to another country. One where hunters could do better. It represented eleven years of savings. "What would you like to know first?" He tried to sound casual as he counted out the agreed upon amount.

"Know what?"

"About us?"

"Sonny, the only thing I give one flying flip about is if you have 500 ryo. I don't care one lick beside that. I'll only resume caring if you happen to run out of food." Shirou stared at him. "Har har har! And that'll only be because I'll have to toss your skinny corpses overboard! Har har har!"

"Uhm... Thank you sir." Shirou bowed to the strange man. He then turned with Haku and left. Once they were out of earshot, he leaned over and whispered "I think that went well. I'm glad we practiced." She didn't respond.

The trip itself was unpleasant. By some kind of evil timing, the effect of the solider pill wore off just as they set sail. Haku told him that the whole trip took only a week. Shirou found that preposterous for two reasons. First, no one could starve in a week. He and Haku did get quite thirsty though. They hadn't brought much water with them, as they were used to Haku making it. If they couldn't starve, why would the first mate say they might? It didn't make any sense. Haku said it was a joke, but Shirou didn't get it. The second, and far more compelling reason was it didn't feel like a week. It didn't feel like a month. Shirou was certain he'd been locked in that tiny room for at least a year. He couldn't keep much down - food or water. In hindsight, perhaps Zabuza giving him medicine designed for an adult ninja wasn't such a good idea.

When they disembarked at Dousei, the looked like refugees. Haku hadn't slept for a week. She had started sleeping while standing, but the constant motion of the ship roused her in seconds. Shirou was dehydrated, and had lost at least 10 pounds. Half dead on their feet, the pair wandered out of the city. They found a small inlet on the beach and decided to rest there for a while. Zabuza must've been watching them, but the jonin never revealed himself. Haku slept for an entire day. Even the tide coming in didn't wake her - despite it soaking the lower half of their bodies. Shirou needed food and water. The island didn't have any forested areas, so hunting wasn't an option. He broke down and spent 20 ryo on some stew and bread from a street vendor. The town had a well that was free at least.

The next day, Haku had mostly recovered. Their savings dwindled some more as they purchased supplies. Soon they set off to scout the area. It was a lot smaller, and felt like an island. The smell of the ocean was present everywhere. Aside from the main port village, there was a second town on the east coast. Several small houses dotted the countryside as well. It took 3 days to make a circle around the coastline. The most promising location was a run down single room shack by a cliff. It overlooked the ocean, but there was no beach by it. Just jagged rocks. The closest house was a mile away. Shirou's knocking was answered by an elderly man.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I was wondering about the old cabin down the coast."

"That shack? What about it?"

"Do you know if anyone is living there, or if it's available for rent?"

"Ha! You must be desperate if you're considering staying there. Well, come in. You can talk terms with my wife. She handles the finances around here."

"So it's yours?"

"It sure is. Was originally a supply shed. Don't know what I was thinking when I built it. You can't fish on that bluff, no matter how long of line ya got!" The old man had beckoned them inside. "Yumi. We have two waifs looking to rent that old shack of mine?"

An old woman came from what smells suggested was the kitchen. "What? You want to force some children to pay money for that pile of boards?"

"Hey now, I didn't bring up money woman! They did!"

"You didn't refuse their money did you? Look at them! Come sit, sit. I'll fix you two some food in a hurry." Shirou and Haku gratefully accepted the woman's generosity. Between bites they related their tale of being orphaned hunters. Their cover story went over well. "Oh, that reminds me of my youth. Mind you, I had to abandon the mainland because of the war! There were a lot of orphans from that war. Why, if it hadn't been for the kindness of the people of this island, I'd have died to certain!" She gave a wistful smile at the old memory.

"We don't have much money, but we'll pay rent."

"Don't be foolish dear. You two can stay with us. Not much call for hunters 'round these parts, but I reckon we can teach you a trade or two."

Shirou shook his head. "We want to make it on our own."

"Well, I can see you're determined. The offer stands. Feel free to stay at that drafty old shanty if you must, but at least spend the night here."

Shirou glanced over at Haku before nodding in acceptance. A roof over their heads and a warm meal was too enticing to turn down.

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Zabuza waited for them to exit the small house. He wasn't much of a sensor, so he could only surmise what was going on inside. His apprentices had done well so far. Finding your way with no help was a difficult thing to do. Even when the other choice was to lay down and die, a surprising number of people would falter. He'd start their chakra training tomorrow. This was an important lesson. He was willing to return to the Hidden Village a bit later than normal. Shirou and Haku left at daybreak, and made their way to their new home.

"Zabuza-sama!" "Zabuza-sensei!" He smiled at their greeting.

"Let's get started on your chakra training. I need to show you the basic exercises. Hold out your right hands." They did so, and he placed a drop of water in each of their palms. "The first step is projecting chakra into the water and making it move. You have to hold perfectly still. Don't jostle the water by moving around." Haku's drop immediately exploded. Shirou's stayed still. "A good start Haku. You can move on to the next step." He placed another drop in her hand. "Correctly gauging the amount of chakra used is important. Too much and it'll explode. Too little and it won't move at all. Try to make it ripple."

After a few missteps, including freezing the water, Haku had the first exercise mastered. "Now, try to form a thin sheen of chakra underneath the water. Let it come together in a bead that rests in your hand." Shirou's water still hadn't moved. After an hour, Haku's water rolled about on her hand - completely seperated from her skin by a layer of chakra.

Walking on still water came next. After that was walking on turbulent water. Haku took to both exercises like it was just walking on dry land. She had an intuitive grasp. No surprise really, she'd been actively using chakra for more than a year now. Shirou obviously had no idea what to do.

"Focus your mind. Meditation and visualization are what you should be working on. Until you can sense your chakra, you won't be able to use it."

"Yes, Zabuza-sensei!" The boy closed his eyes.

A slight shift in the wind combined with the presence of a faint chakra signature to the north alerted Zabuza. "You're about to have company. Never become so engrossed in your training that you lose awareness of what's going on around you." He then shunshin'd away, leaving a whirlwind of mist behind.

A minute later, a now familiar face showed up. "Oh! Shirou-chan! Haku-chan! Here you are. I wondered where you ran off to this morning."

"We didn't want to impose on you any more Yumi-san." Shirou replied.

"Nonsense. You're no imposition at all! Have the two of you given any thought about money? Not much wildlife to hunt in these parts."

"No, ma'am. We haven't."

"Come eat breakfast. We can go into the village after that. There are always some people who'll want odd-jobs done. I'll introduce you."

"That would be wonderful! Your help is greatly appreciated." Shirou glanced over at Haku. She kept her face expressionless. He could read her body language. She didn't want to stop training with Zabuza-sensei. At the same time she was resigned to the fact.

The trio headed back to the Midoriyama's house. Yumi chatted pleasantly with Shirou. After a hearty breakfast, they took a trip to the village. Haku tried to excuse herself, but the elderly woman booked no disagreement. It wasn't until late afternoon that Shirou and Haku got back to their new home. Yumi had tried to invite them dinner, but relented when they said their shack needed work before bedtime.

"I can't believe we missed so much training time!" Haku and Shirou were calmly walking away from a waving Yumi. Once they were out of sight, Haku broke into a sprint. "C'mon Shirou! We can still get some good practice in!"

"Yeah, let's hurry!"

The trip didn't take much time at their top speed. Zabuza was waiting for them. "I set up a small storage space underneath the cliff. Everything that would give your identities away is in it."

"How are we supposed to get at it Zabuza-sensei?" Shirou was peering over the cliff, but couldn't see anything like Zabuza described.

"You walk. Right now Haku will be the one who gets the equipment. Consider it motivation for you to improve your chakra control." He turned to the ice user. "Haku, if you would?"

"Of course! Zabuza-sama!" She had already mastered walking down the cliff. It was easier than standing on still water, and the only way to get to the ocean. "What should I get?"

"Get a kunai for yourself, and a sword for Shirou. The two of you are going to spar for a while."

"Yes sir!"

The following days a routine set in. They'd work on chakra control in the morning before going to visit Yumi. Shirou went over earlier to delay the old woman, and to fix breakfast. Haku stayed to train with Zabuza. He had begun showing her hand signs for shaping ninjutsu. She did make an appearance for the meal itself. No point in passing on free food. They'd spar after breakfast. Shirou would then go into town to both keep up appearances and to earn some money. The evening meal would either be with the Midoriyamas, or Shirou would fix them something at home. They would end the day with more sparring.

Zabuza had mixed emotions. Haku was doing wonderfully. She was well on her way to performing base jutsu. He wouldn't be surprised if she began to be able to use them without hand signs soon. Her grasp on the theory of constructing jutsu was also advanced. This was important. Acquiring ice jutsu from scrolls or other users wasn't a realistic possibility. If she was to become his ultimate weapon, she'd have to develop her powers from scratch. Shirou was another story. He couldn't make the drop of water so much as ripple. Zabuza wasn't a sensor ninja. His ability to detect chakra was, however, quite good for someone without a special ability. As far as he could tell, Shirou didn't possess a drop. Civilians had more than the redheaded boy did. At least his stamina was good.

Haku easily won most of their spars at first. As the fights went on, it was obvious that fatigue was taking it's toll on her. Towards the end of their sparring sessions Shirou managed to pull off some wins. This was in addition to the jobs he did in the village, and the less sleep he generally got. Shirou's physical energy couldn't be the issue. His mental energy or his chakra coils were the problem. Shirou was an odd person. He'd thrown himself into becoming a tool with more ease than Haku. It was like there was something wrong with his mind. Something that distorted his sense of self. Zabuza wondered if such a mental issue could be the root behind his lack of chakra. If it was, what was the solution? Telling him to not be such a loyal tool? The would be counter-productive. If it was a problem with his chakra coils, then at least his body would still be infused. Such a use of chakra was natural. The Shirou couldn't do it was very strange. He could also just be a late bloomer. Zabuza told him to focus on meditation more.

All too soon the week was over. He would already be missed back in the Village Hidden in the Mist. His apprentices had a training regime. Haku was making great progress. That would have to be enough for now.

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Shirou enjoyed his life. The simple routine of waking up, meditating, visiting the Midoriyamas, helping out around the village, and then more training. Being useful to others gave him a purpose. He wanted to be useful to Zabuza like Haku was, but he just couldn't access his chakra. At first he'd managed to win one duel out of ten, once she was sufficiently tired. That was before her chakra training had improved her stamina. Haku did still occasionally comment on Shirou's lack of downtime. He thought nothing of it. He had to earn his place somehow. Even if he wasn't as good of ninja as Haku, he could still do something.

Haku spent the time he was away in the village working on hand signs. Her solo practice had to be concealable, in case anybody wondered by. Each sign molded chakra differently. Zabuza had left some scrolls with water jutsu. She could perform them well enough, but the real test was to modify them to use her bloodline. A water whip turned into an ice whip was basically the same thing. Icy mist was the same as regular mist, just colder. She was having better luck with changes to non-elemental techniques. An ice shunshin lacked the stability for quick movement. High speed and friction-less surfaces didn't mix, but she had an idea. She had a vision of a jutsu that united clones, shunshin, ice, and water forming. There was something there. She knew it. It remained just outside of her grasp. A dog or an ox sign? Which would adjust the shape just so... She sighed in frustration. Enough for today. Time to turn her focus to Shirou's complete lack of control. Or even sensing. Without chakra, Zabuza would abandon him. Their teacher had no use for a dull weapon. She thought about another visualization technique.

"Shirou, I have another idea for your meditation yesterday."

"What is it?"

"You know how you said that thinking about swords felt 'right'?"

"It did, but I still couldn't feel any chakra."

"When trying the meditative katas, you came close."

"Well, I felt something. I think it might've been chakra."

"Try thinking about forging. Creating chakra is a lot like forging a sword. You're combining two things into one."

Shirou nodded. "Fire and metal into a blade. Physical and Mental energy into chakra."

"Exactly." Haku smiled. "You're always been better with swords. Even Zabuza-sama said you had talent!"

"Right." Shirou expression became serious. "I'll definitely do it this time."

He closed his eyes. He'd never seen a sword forged - that he could remember. He somehow knew all the steps despite that: Start with the concept - a small, quick weapon. Hypothesize it's basic structure - tip, edge, fuller, tang, guard, hilt, and pommel. Create it's composition - iron, carbon 3%, no impurities. Forge the blade. Red-hot metal. Soft but solid. A glowing line that... Shirou screamed. His body felt like a red hot rod of iron had been shoved into his veins. Almost as soon as the pain started, it was over. Whatever he'd touched on shattered without his focus.

"Shirou!" Haku rushed over to him. "Are you ok?"

He looked up with a smile on his face. "I think I found my chakra. It was...intense."

She looked at him with a blank expression. "You screamed in pain."

"I'll do better next time. Now I know what to expect."

"Chakra isn't painful."

"Then I'll get better at shaping it."

Shirou's second attempt went better. It was painful, but not surprising. After a minute of letting his chakra flow within him, he stood up. "I want to try it out. Let's spar."

Haku shrugged. "What about Midoriyama-san? She'll come looking for you if you don't show up at their house."

"You're right. This afternoon then."

"Yep." Haku flashed him another smile.

Shirou set out. He was ecstatic. He'd accessed his chakra. Now he could really become a ninja. He let himself into the Midoriyama's house, and started making breakfast. His chakra burned through his veins. It was painful, but manageable. The first instance had been much worse. He hoped the pain would decrease more with time. The smell of his cooking awoke his landlords. Yumi came into the kitchen. "Good Morning Shirou-chan."

"Good Morning Yumi-san."

"You're in a good mood. Why, I can't remember seeing you smile before."

"Yeah, today's going to be a good day."

"You look a little flushed. Must be excited about something."

"Yes."

"Oh, is it that little Higako girl?"

"No, it's nothing like that."

"You know she has a crush on you right?"

"So you've told me, Yumi-san."

"I'm just saying that you need to spend some time with a female that isn't your sister or 60 years your senior."

"Yes, yes."

"How is Haku-chan doing? I wish she would come by more often."

"She's doing well. You know her, training takes precedence."

"I'd be amazed if anyone could catch fish on that reef. Still, she seems determined. If anyone could it's Haku-chan."

Shirou gave a non-committal grunt. He would have to talk to Haku about catching some fish. Perhaps in another month. He'd already bought some gear with his earnings. It was the best cover story they could come up with.

The rest of the day flew by. Shirou's mind was on the spar he and Haku would have. He would still probably lose, but now he had new limits. Limits he wanted to explore. He arrived home and found Haku waiting. The two didn't talk. They just exchanged nods. The spar began...and then it was over. Haku still moved too fast for him. He didn't seem any faster or stronger. What was worse, after she took him down his chakra evaporated. He envisioned a forged sword again, and it came back. Over and over Haku won. Shirou got to the point where he could hold on to his chakra, but it didn't seem to be doing him any good.

"I think that's enough Shirou. Any more and your bruises will worsen and take too long to heal."

"Yeah, you're right. I thought I'd do better."

Haku shook her head. "You didn't improve at all, but that just means you aren't utilizing your chakra. Now that you have it, it's just a matter of using it to enhance yourself. I'm sure you'll get it soon!"

"Yep! Real soon!"

It actually took him a week. Even though it was physical chakra, it all seemed to rely on his mental imaging. Perhaps that what Zabuza-sensei meant when he said it was a fusion. Shirou envisioned a flow of chakra to his limbs. Making them faster, stronger, tougher - better. And it worked. It felt amazing, being so strong. He still wasn't as quick as Haku, but he could react to her moves again. His chakra also ran out before hers did. That was unfortunate, but Zabuza-sensei said their upper limits could be improved somewhat. That would be the next step.

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Zabuza approached the meager residence of his two apprentices. The ship had made harbor during the afternoon, so there wasn't much light left. Just like last time, he didn't have much time to train them. Only three days, five if he pushed it. Haku's training was coming along nicely. She was quick, but lacked power. Zabuza needed to find a fighting style that fit her. Precision could make up for a lack strength. This was even discounting her bloodline ability. If only he'd been able to find a Yuki clan scroll. Haku was smart. She'd be able to create some powerful jutsu on her own. Most masters did so. There wasn't a singe Kage who hadn't developed a smattering of A and S-rank jutsus by themselves.

At least while he was here, she could get some real sparring in. She'd have to stop fighting Shirou. It was better for her to practice katas now. Limiting herself to dealing with a single opponent below chunin would be detrimental in the long run. Haku needed to be pushed. Even geniuses grew sloppy if they didn't have motivation. She had a goal, but no real opposition. Perhaps he should have her start accompanying him on missions. A-ranks would be too much, but Haku could reasonably contribute to C and B-rank missions. She might even be able to complete one on her own.

The shack came into view. Zabuza could hear the sounds of combat. From this distance he couldn't see more than some shapes blurring around the cliff. That was enhanced movement. Whatever was going on involved a ninja that wasn't Haku. He cursed. How had she been found out? This was a small island. No patrols even came here. At least he didn't think they did. Could it be a hunter-nin? Haku wasn't that good yet. Zabuza hid his presence. As long as there was movement, Haku was alive. Dashing in might help, but a surprise attack would probably be more effective. He crept forward. Coming around from behind would normally be the better choice. But if this was a hunter nin, the water wouldn't be safe. Zabuza trusted his water-jutsu, but he trusted Kubikiribocho more. The greatsword was in his hands. If he could catch his target by surprise, the legendary sword was just as effective at decapitation with a throw.

He slunk forward, quiet but quickly. His eyes focused on Haku. She was on the defensive, but holding her own. Good. He reared back his arm - readying his sword to be thrown. A glance over gave him his target... Shirou? The redheaded boy was moving quicker than he'd ever seen him. From the sounds of metal against metal, his strength had been augmented as well. Zabuza still couldn't sense his chakra. So he'd awakened it. Or the boy had been faking. For what reason, Zabuza could only dread. He didn't sense any blood-lust between the two of them, so it must've been a spar. If Haku had known about Shirou using chakra, she'd have told him. Shirou's chakra must be a new development. It was strange though. He was a jonin, but he still couldn't sense any chakra from the boy. In the heat of battle, he should've been able to sense something. Shirou must have a bloodline. A chakra that was subtle enough to not be sensed, even in use. THAT was a valuable ability. Especially for an assassin. If Zabuza could use a jutsu to hide himself while suppressing his chakra - a lot of missions would become child's play.

The Mist jonin lowered himself back down. He watched the spar play out. Despite his superior reach with a katana, Haku had no problem counter-attacking. She was using her speed to make up for weapon's size. After a minute, a curse rang out. Shirou's blade had snapped. Haku took the opportunity. An high elbow and a low kick brought her opponent to his knees. She then whirled around him and placed her kunai to his throat. The spar was over. Zabuza waited for the boy to regain his feet before showing himself.

"Good work."

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried out happily.

"Zabuza-sensei! I've learned how to use my chakra!"

"So I saw. Haku still won I see."

"Yes. She's quicker than I am. The sword breaking gave her an opening. It usually takes a few more minutes for her to beat me." As expected Shirou didn't rise to his bait. The boy was nothing if not humble.

"Quite so." Zabuza hated false modesty. After meeting Shirou, he found he didn't care for sincere modesty either. "Let's find out what your elemental affinity is." From a waterproof pouch he took out to slips of chakra paper. It was rare and expensive - and didn't take well to being sealed. Traveling with it was a pain sometimes, but Zabuza had it for this exact situation. "You're probably water, most people in the Land of Water are. Still, we don't know who you're parents were."

Each of the two children took the offered slip. "You just channel chakra into it." Haku explained to Shirou. She then demonstrated. Her slip of paper froze, then shattered into shards. Shirou's brow furled. His slip didn't change.

"Zabuza-sensei. What does it mean if it doesn't change?"

"It means you didn't put any chakra into it."

"But it did! It felt the same as when I reinforce myself."

"Let me see." Did the merchant that sold him these rip him off? Hiding plain paper slips with the others? True, such a switch wouldn't be noticed for a while. Once the paper was used, the ruse would be obvious. Or, more likely, Shirou didn't actually channel any chakra into it. Zabuza took the paper. Ouch. It hurt! A red line appeared across his fingers. The paper had sliced him! Not a paper-cut either. The wound was deep. With a scowl, he threw the slip at the shack. It flew like a shuriken, and buried itself into the wood. Odd. He drew out another slip, and handed it to the boy. "Do it again."

Shirou grasped the paper. He then flicked his wrist towards the wooden wall. His throw was horrible, and slips of paper weren't very aerodynamic. Still, it struck the wall and stuck, just like Zabuza's throw had. The boy looked up at him. "What does that mean?"

Zabuza smiled. "It means you're a much more valuable tool than I had thought."


	2. Zabuza's Apprentice 2

A mist had appeared over the area. Zabuza's signature technique. Hiding in the Mist was one of the most basic techniques from The Village Hidden in the Mist. Basics killed, and Zabuza had perfected it. He hadn't made it as thick as he was capable of yet. His powerful demonic chakra could create a fog so thick that visibility was measured in inches. Alone that wouldn't have been why he was an Anbu-level threat. Shirou's teacher had also mastered Silent Killing. He made virtually no noise in the mist. With hearing keener than a bat, Zabuza didn't need his eyes to land deadly blows. The sounds of his opponent's footsteps, breathing, and heartbeat gave him all the information he required. Even with sending chakra to his ears, Shirou couldn't match up to the jonin. It also meant that once Zabuza was serious, his arrows couldn't provide him any support. That was fine. His sensei had told him to give warning of anything that might jeopardize the mission. That was Shirou's main purpose, and that was what he was going to do. He supposed that there was a slight chance Haku might need help. His arrows could reach the ice ninja. She was fighting away from Zabuza for the same reason. Getting in the way of your user meant you were a failure of a tool.

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8 years ago...

"Hey, Haku-nee-san." The pair had finished their evening training and were walking back to their shack. It was a lot more cozy now. The two of them had repaired the walls and ceiling. They also now had furniture and a window. Most of their time was still spent outside. The building was only large enough for one futon, so they mainly used it for sleeping or getting out of the rain.

"For the last time Shirou, I'm not your older sister." As she replied, Haku didn't look at her fellow apprentice.

"I'm pretty sure you are."

"Look, we aren't related, and you're clearly older than I am." Shirou had a good 6 inches on her. Even if he was tall for a boy, he had to be at least a year older.

"Since we don't know when I was born, you can't say that for certain. Besides, you have more memories than I do." They reached the door, and Shirou let himself in first.

"None of them good ones." She grumbled under her breath as she followed him inside. "Fine. I MIGHT be older than you, and I suppose that since you don't have all your memories that your mental age would be categorized as 'childish'."

"Exactly."

"Kami help me."

"And of course you're my sister!" The redhead smiled as he lay out their futon.

"I'm just a tool. I'm no one's sister." Haku helped him with the sheets, even as she corrected him.

"We can both be tools and brother and sister!"

"I'm not getting into this with you again."

"You brought it up."

"No, you did with that silly honorific."

"Oh yeah, that's right."

The next few minutes passed in silence as various scrounged sheets were laid out. They had one pillow, but both refused to use it out of politeness. Thus it had become Zabuza's when their teacher was with them. "So what did you want to talk about, before we got sidetracked?"

"I just wanted to ask you about why you've only been using senbon recently."

"What? I just like them. Plus I can make them from water or ice if needed."

"But they aren't swords!" Shirou crossed his arms and took a defiant pose. Haku shook her head. Honestly, he could be stubborn about the oddest things.

"And that matters because?" She knew she'd regret delving into his 'logic' almost as soon as she spoke.

"Swords are the best!"

"Can a sword kill at range?"

"Zabuza's can."

"Ok, can a sword incapacitate at range?"

"I guess...I mean...probably?"

"It can injure at range, but it can't stop someone. Senbon are precise enough to target nerve points. If I can become accurate enough, I can paralyze or immobilize at range."

"Or kill?"

Haku sighed. "Yes, Shirou. Or kill."

"You won't kill me right?"

"No, I won't kill you. Why would you ask such a thing?" Haku laid back against the wall and shut her eyes. She was tired after such a long day, how did Shirou have so much energy?

"Well, because of all the practice you do with sticking senbon in me."

"It's so I won't accidentally kill anyone that we have to practice so much. It's not painful is it?" Haku frowned. She didn't want to hurt him with her practice. The bonus that it slowed him down for a while wasn't the main point. Nope. Not the MAIN point. Although there were those nerve clusters that caused a death-like state. That might be a good thing to test on Shirou...

"Nah, everything's fine. It just seems like an odd weapon choice. I want to understand."

"You're not going to give up on this are you?" She opened her eyes to look at her persistent bunk-mate.

"Huh?"

"Ok, I'll tell you. Otherwise you'll just pester me for years. Like about that thrice-cursed smile."

"I like your smile." The unsolicited sentiment brought a small grin to her face. Even when he was being dense and annoying, Shirou did have his good points. Especially since she knew the compliment wasn't intended as one. Still, the last thing she wanted was to reopen that particular can of worms.

"Not. The. Point. Do you remember when we fled from the main island?"

"Of course."

"Do you remember the fight?"

"Uhm... Not really." He looked down and to the side. Shirou was probably ashamed at how poorly he had performed.

"There was a girl, not much older than we are now. She took you out with one senbon."

"But that was poison. It wouldn't work so quickly on an adult. Zabuza says that a lot of ninja are immune to poison anyways."

"That's right. Afterwards, well, immediately afterwards I threw a kunai at her throat." Megumi. Haku remembered her name. She was dead. Either by her hand or Zabuza's.

"Did it kill her?"

"I thought that it did. So did her teammates. I really regretted it. Especially since she used a non-lethal attack against you. If I had done something different, they might still be alive."

"I suppose..."

"I know it would've been a long-shot. Unaffiliated ninjas in training aren't getting a warm reception in the best case. With us both having blood line abilities, the odds would be against us. It doesn't change the emotions I felt."

"Regret."

"Yes, and relief. It was buried under fear, so I didn't realize what I felt for a long time."

"Relief?"

"Yes, when her sensei appeared and started healing her."

"So not-killing her would've made you smile."

"Oh no! Not this again! I'm going to bed." Haku pointedly turned her back to Shirou and ducked under the covers.

"Goodnight Haku-nee-chan."

"...Goodnight Shirou."

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6 years ago...

"Are you sure you have to leave, Shirou-chan? You and Haku-chan are more than welcome to stay living here!"

"I appreciate your kindness, Yumi-san. We've been planning this for a while now. A ship finally came that's heading to the Land of Noodles. Who knows how long the next one would be? We can't afford non-direct passage."

"I know, I know. I'm just sad to see you youngsters go. You've both grown up so much! Why you're so dead set on finding this Macunochi person is beyond me."

"It's Mashiba-san. He may not know we exist, but mother spoke fondly of him. We have to try and find our family."

"Family is important." The old woman wistfully accepted his argument. She had a faraway look in her eyes. "It's hard to lose family... Here. I've made you some snacks for the road." Yumi handed him a bag filled with mochi.

"Thank you again for all your kindness Yumi-san. I don't know what Haku or I would've done without your generosity."

"Oh stop that! All the chores and helping out that you did leaves us in your debt, not the other way around!"

"I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that." Shirou gave a long bow. "I hope I see you again one day."

"So do I, Shirou-san."

Shirou waved goodbye as he walked away. In a few minutes he came upon Haku waiting for him. She was dressed in a simple purple kimono. Not well suited for travel overland, but they were going to be on a ship. Shirou was wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a red jacket. Neither of their clothes had any adornments or patterns on them. They simply didn't have enough money to spare any for such things. Haku was carrying their supplies in a dirty brown bag. Chief among them were the sealing scrolls that stored all their equipment. Shirou couldn't open them as much as he tried. Releasing sealed objects was a supposed fail-proof task, just pour chakra into the scroll. Sealing thing into a scroll was a bit more involved. It required some control to activate the proper arrays. For Shirou, it didn't matter. He'd tried and tried, and all he got from it were scrolls as hard as steel. He supposed that if he didn't have a sword he could just bash someone over the head with a reinforced scroll. They also had some dried fish and water bottles, just in case. Finally, in the last four years they'd managed to save 20,000 ryo. Shirou had earned about 20 ryo a day. It wasn't very much - it would buy two small meals or one big one. However, it was on top of the food and supplies that grateful villagers let them have. Ships were expensive, but the Land of Noodles wasn't that far away.

Soon they came into sight of the port. It felt like forever since they'd arrived on this tiny island. Waiting for them at the dock was an unmistakable figure. He was quite the intimidating sight, with a sword larger than either of them. Shirou felt Haku tense. She must've wanted to run up to their sensei and greet him. That wouldn't do. Zabuza had told them not to speak with him until they were alone on board the ship. As far as this island knew, the two young orphans were setting sail to seek their uncle in another country. Shirou handed over the agreed upon amount to the first mate. Ten thousand ryo. They couldn't get a discount this time, but at least that meant they got their own bunks and food.

Once on board, they had to wait for tide to go out. Haku sat on her bunk, twirling a senbon in her fingers. "When do you think Zabuza will come in?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't put it past him to stay out there and scare off any other passengers."

"That would be good. Then we'd have the guest cabin to ourselves."

"Yep."

"That means he won't be in here until the tide starts going out. That's at least an hour away!"

"Yep."

"Hey, Shirou-chan, how 'bout some senbon practice."

"Sure."

Shirou stood up and took off his jacket and shirt. He carefully folded his discarded clothing and placed it on his bunk. He then went to the far side of the room from Haku. The female ninja took out two more senbon, holding them between the fingers of her right hand. With a quick motion, the thin metal spikes were sent flying at Shirou. One went into his left leg, the other two struck his left arm. His leg went numb, but he remained standing. His arm felt fine, or as fine as it could feel with a pair of six inch iron throwing picks in it.

"I missed. I think I need to adjust for the movement of the boat."

"My leg went numb."

"Well, that nerve patch is larger than the ones in your arm. C'mon, let's go again."

"Sure." Shirou obediently withdrew the metal weapons from himself. The hadn't struck any blood vessels, so the bleeding was minimal. Even with the senbon removed, his leg still felt strange. "Why don't you just target my upper body? I don't want to strip, and I don't know if we can get any string to patch up my pants."

"Good point." Haku had drawn three more senbon. "Now hold still."

Some time later, the cabin door opened. Zabuza stepped in and looked around. His two tools were sitting on their beds fully dressed. The jonin's head slowly turned from one of his students to the other. "Haku, what have I said about using Shirou to test pressure points?"

"I believe you expressed some displeasure in it, Zabuza-sama."

"Then why is he sitting up so straight?"

"Good posture."

"And the smell of blood?"

"Uhm..." Haku glanced around. Shirou shrugged, or tried to. The two of them had been paying attention during their impromptu aiming/target session. The instant Haku felt the ship shift under the weight of someone approaching, she'd given a signal. There hadn't been a lot of time to clean up after themselves. "Shirou...fell down some stairs." She finally replied.

"Really?"

"Yep, really. No sea legs."

Zabuza raised an eyebrow, but said no more.

Shirou cleared his throat. Raising his hand seemed like too much effort at the moment. "Zabuza-sensei, where are we going?"

The Hidden Mist jonin turned his head. "We're headed to the Land of Rivers."

Haku furrowed her brow. "Isn't that far away?"

Zabuza nodded. "It's an A-Rank mission."

"How far away is the Land of Rivers?" Shirou didn't know much about geography.

"It's somewhere far to the west I think." Haku replied.

"Haku's right." Zabuza responded. "We're going to take a ship to the Land of Noodles. From there we're heading to the Land of Tea, but that's only the first leg of our journey. We could find a ship that's heading directly to the Land of Rivers, but the Land of Tea is a large peninsula we'd have to go around. Instead we'll take a ship to the Land of Tea, cut across it overland, and then head to the Land of Rivers."

"The Lands of Noodles, Tea, and Rivers?" Haku asked. "We'll be crossing three boarders. What about foreign ninja?"

"They won't be a problem." Zabuza walked over to an unoccupied bunk and sat down. "None of the countries we're passing through have a hidden village."

"It sounds like a long trip." Shirou commented.

"It's an extended mission. Fortunately, I feel the two of you are up for it. I doubt we'll have much trouble until we find what we're looking for."

"What's there that's so important?"

"One of the missing Swords of the Mist."

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The trip itself was boring. In total they spent a month traveling. Even for ninja, ships were a lot faster than walking on foot, since ships traveled through the night. It was still a long turnaround for acting on a rumor. The Village Hidden in the Mist had reliable information that there was something of interest in the small village of Tsurui. Several bandits in the area were found dead from a combination of cuts and massive bludgeoning. It was the same type of wounds Kabutowari would deal. It was one of the missing Swords of the Mist, and reclaiming it was a high priority. The Hidden Mist's source had personally witnessed the aftermath of one such encounter. There was no doubt that a ninja was behind it. Since the deaths were all bandits, the people in the region weren't likely to hire a ninja from a Hidden Village. Only a Hidden Village interested in bandits being killed might send ninja. Only the Hidden Sand, Leaf, or Rain could beat them to the prize.

Haku and Shirou's training continued on the trip, but at a reduced pace. While walking, there wasn't time. While riding, there wasn't space. At least on a boat they could get in some target practice and low-level jutsu training. Not to mention Haku's increasing interest in anatomy. She had good enough chakra control to become a medic, but unfortunately Zabuza didn't know any such techniques. Developing medical jutsu by oneself was more difficult than nearly any other type. Without a good teacher, progress was nonexistent. Haku had decided to focus on more traditional healing. Scrolls on that were much more easily obtained. Zabuza's Anbu anatomy training was absorbed by her at a tremendous pace. She also had an all-too-willing guinea pig in Shirou. What was wrong with that boy? It was good for Haku to get real-life practice in striking nerve clusters with senbon, but what did the redhead get out of it? At least Shirou recovered quickly. His Uzumaki blood was proving itself useful - as expected.

Zabuza debated telling Shirou about his clan. He was 90% sure by now that Shirou was an Uzumaki, but what good would come from that information? At worst it might even prompt the boy to seek out relatives. No, better to keep his hypotheses to himself for now. Besides, there was enough to figure out with Shirou already. Just what was his chakra nature? Zabuza guessed Steel. It was odd. Haku's ice was a combination of water and wind. There was more to it than that. Even a ninja with a dual-affinity in water and wind couldn't reproduce her ice techniques. It was more precise to say that she could alter her ice element to act as water or wind. Shirou couldn't do that. Reinforcing his swords or himself was the extent of the boy's techniques. Useful for a swordsman at least. Haku was the superior tool, but Zabuza enjoyed training another in the way of the blade. Shirou was a genius with weapons. He picked up techniques like he was born to wield a sword. Given how well his chakra nature meshed with his fighting style, he probably was. It was a shame he was utterly hopeless at Silent Killing. Otherwise he'd have been a perfect Swordsman of the Mist. He'd still be one in the new regime, just not perfect.

The Steel-wielder wasn't without his faults. Every other ninja jutsu was beyond him. Clones, Substitution, Shunshin, Surface Walking or Transformation. He couldn't perform any of them. There also wasn't any information about Steel release users in the Hidden Mist. Just like Haku, if Shirou wanted a new technique he would have to develop it himself.

At the outskirts of Tsurui, a small bird circled them. Zabuza raised his arm, and the bird obediently landed. Hidden under it's feathers was a small slip of paper. The jonin carefully unfolded it. He channeled a very precise amount of chakra. Too little and nothing would happen. Too much and the paper would dissolve away. The exact right amount revealed words, then had the paper dissolve. It two seconds the paper was nothing more than moisture on his fingers. He had enough time to commit the message to memory. Haku and Shirou looked up at him expectantly.

"There haven't been any more incidents since the report from a month ago. Our target may have left, or he might be laying low. There was one witness to the event. Munoto Tanimoto. Apparently he's something of a drunkard. His account may not be reliable, but it's where we'll start. We'll spread out and meet back here at sundown."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama!" "Yes, Zabuza-sensei!"

Shirou knelt down and opened his backpack. The boy was wearing a black T-shirt to go along with his blank pants and sandals. From his pack he removed a jacket that looked like the top of a kimono, a pair of black gloves, and a length of black cloth. Zabuza and Haku looked on as he put on the jacket and gloves. He then wrapped the cloth around his head until only a slit with his eyes was showing. Nodding to himself, the boy put his backpack on. He then readjusted the bow and quiver at his back, the butterfly swords at his sides, and the kunai pouch on his leg.

"Shirou. What, pray tell, do you think you're wearing?" Zabuza wondered what was going through his young apprentice's mind. Haku had turned around and her shoulders shook suspiciously. At least it wasn't summer, Mist's humidity was the real thing. On the other hand, hot weather might make Shirou change his mind.

"This is what a ninja wears." Shirou stated with 100% conviction.

"Ok, first of all, you're not a ninja. Without graduating from a Hidden Village, you're classified as a civilian." The tall jonin began to tick down his fingers. "Second, no ninja I've ever seen dresses like that. Third, you stand out like a sore thumb. Fourth, it looks ridiculous. And finally, ninjas wear headbands. That's how you identify them."

Shirou shook his head. "Ninjas wear black. It's so they can hide."

"No they don't."

"That you've seen."

Zabuza briefly considered continuing the argument with Shirou. He was quite bull-headed about the most surprising things. He could also order his apprentice to remove the silly costume, but was it worth it? Ninjas, as a whole, had some very unique fashion sense. He'd gotten looks for his black and white leg and arm warmers. They were stylish, but he'd heard rumors about him and cows. "Whatever. You both know what to do. Let's go."

"Yes, Zabuza-sensei!" "Y-es, *giggle* Zabuza-sama!"

Haku must've found Shirou's outfit funny. Or she had some insight into the redhead's thought process. Or she was happy to let someone else deal with him for once. In any case, she'd chosen an outfit that was much better suited for infiltration. She used easily concealable senbons, and could seal away unneeded equipment. There was no reason for her to carry it all out in the open like Shirou. Haku wore a white sleeveless shirt with a purple skirt. The skirt had a slip in the side and was short enough to not impede her movement. Her hair had grown long, and she now had the back of it tied up in a small white bun.

Shirou and Haku spread out into the town. Zabuza walked down the main street. He reveled in the reactions he got. His appearance screamed danger. Anyone who saw him would recognize him as a Hidden Mist ninja. The bandages and sword would help him intimidate answers from all but the bravest or stupidest of people. People who were put off balance mentally were easy to read. All he had to do was walk around and note reactions. That was the easiest and quickest way to separate the useful people from the rest.

"Zabuza Momochi - The Demon of the Hidden Mist. You're in my bingo book." A large man stood up from a stool at a roadside restaurant. He wore a brown and yellow outfit with a brown flack jacket. A headband from the Village Hidden by the Rocks was worn beneath short, spiky, gray hair. The man's chest was 3 feet across, and looked like it was made of pure muscle. Multiple scars crisscrossed his face, only hidden by a short goatee.

"You're not in mine." The Mist jonin replied. "Guess you're not dangerous enough to warrant the space or ink."

"Hah! Perhaps I'm not." The large man laughed jovially. His mirthful expression suddenly hardened into a sneer. "Or I might just be the most dangerous man you'll ever meet. Only one way to find out."

"Agreed." Zabuza stretched his neck to the right and left. The nonchalant action had the added benefit of loosening the rope around Kubikiribocho's hilt. By Mist tradition the great blade was wrapped in bandages. It dulled it's edge, but preserved it's anonymity. "If you ever want to find out, I'm game."

"Hah! Well spoken! My name is Bashi Osada, but my friends call me 'Basalt'." The large man grinned, and turned to walk away. His eyes narrowed as he turned his head to give a parting retort. "I wonder if you'll maintain that bravado in the face of death?"

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Shirou walked down the street. Tsurui was so different from the village he was used to. Back on the island, everyone knew one another. The ports occasionally had merchants that came to buy and sell, but nothing like the city he was now in. Tsurui had merchants lined up along the streets in stalls. They cried out their wares, and tried to get his attention. Even being dressed like a ninja didn't deter them. It made sense he decided. Ninjas must be a common enough sight even in a country without a Hidden Village of their own. Shirou steadfastly ignored the interesting things being sold. He had a job to do, and he was going to find Munoto Tanimoto. Then he heard a sound. It was quiet compared to the yells around him, but he instantly recognized its steady rhythm. He had to see.

Shirou turned past a fat man selling pumpkins. The sound was louder. *Thunk* *Thunk* He almost broke out into a run. Finally he came upon it's source. There was a blacksmith shop. That wasn't odd. His old village had one two. What was different was what a young-looking man in the back was working on. It was a sword. Shirou could see it's shape as the man folded the iron again and again. He was strengthening it. Each fold helped temper the blade. It became stronger, but also more brittle. That was the downside of using lower-quality iron. A higher carbon content would allow a blade just as strong, but easier to forge and without any increased brittleness. Shirou had dreamed up stories for his swords years ago. Who'd forged them. Who'd used them. How they'd gotten from their creator to Zabuza to him. It may have just been a daydream on his part, but Shirou had conviction that it was true. Lately he'd even imagined the past of every weapon he saw. Even if it was just a glimpse, a detailed history of it came to mind. He looked at the sword that was being formed before his eyes. He knew it was three days old. The iron that composed it was of lower quality. It would take a lot of effort to turn it into steel. Shirou tried to imagine what kind of sword it would eventually be. Nothing came to mind. He could see each hammer stroke as it fell. He knew details of how the blade was forming, but conceiving of the sword's future was beyond him.

It struck him as odd. Haku had told him that he had a great imagination. Why was it failing now? He'd even come up with a detailed history of Zabuza's Kubikiribocho. It's story was centuries old. He liked to imagine the blade had the power to reforge itself with the blood of it's victims. Time and time again it had been damaged, only to be pristine after the next fight. The idea wasn't even that preposterous. It was all in how the blade had been forged. The smith who'd made it had been a master, and carefully poured his blood and chakra into his work. Shirou shook his head. He'd been reminiscing about daydreams for far too long now. A quick glance up showed him the sun had nearly set! A small curse escaped his lips. He'd been watching the smith for hours now! That was simply unacceptable! What kind of a useless ninja gets sidetracked by fantasies about swords. Especially on a mission! There was no time to waste. At least he wouldn't be late for the rendezvous with Haku and Zabuza.

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Haku walked down the street. She looked for people who were following the crowd with their eyes. A middle-aged woman selling fish told her where to find a bar. An overweight merchant with a stock of large orange vegetables said Munoto Tanimoto had buckteeth and a wispy beard. The bartender said the old drunk always had a gourd with him. Haku was now armed with a description and an area to search over. Finally, she found the mousey looking man. He was sitting at a BBQ stall. Haku walked up to him. Munoto took a drag on his gourd, and then messily wiped his lips.

"Munoto Tanimoto?"

"Who's asking?"

"Excuse me. My name is Haku. I'm interested in some bandits that were killed about a month ago. I've heard you saw what happened."

"I didn't see it exactly miss. A month is a long time when you're my age. I'm afraid my memory's not what it's used to."

Haku glanced at the plate in front of him. It only contained bones. "Perhaps I can buy you some lunch?"

"Hmmmm... Make it lunch and a drink, and I'll see what this old noggin can dredge up."

Haku motioned to the chef. He'd been paying attention, and was already preparing another plate of ribs. He placed them in front of the bucktoothed man. From underneath the counter he brought out a bottle and refilled the cup next to the plate. As he moved to put the alcohol away, Munoto motioned for him to leave it. The chef glanced at Haku, who gave a nod.

"Tanimoto-san. If you would please be so kind as to tell me about the fight."

"It was pretty amazing. That bandit gang had been preying on travelers for a while now. Pretty smart about it too: always avoiding the merchants that had a ninja escort. Well, one day, about a month ago I was taking a stroll. It was on the east side of the village. It was nighttime, so I didn't see much."

"You didn't see much?"

"Now, now, don't be hasty." The old man drained his cup, and then began to pour the contents of the bottle into his gourd. Haku wondered if it was the same drink, or if he wasn't concerned as long as it got him drunk. "These old ears are pretty sharp, y'know. The yelling was plenty loud. 'Help! Spare me!' That kind of stuff."

"Bandits don't have much courage."

"Nope, wouldn't be bandits otherwise. Now, as I was saying, the interesting thing was the other sounds."

"Other sounds?"

"The sounds of killing. The sound of flesh being cut, of bones being crushed."

"That doesn't sound interesting."

"But it is, because it was the only other sounds. Now, I've seen a ninja battle or two. They're always yelling as part of their jutsu."

"I understand that skilled ninja does not need to vocalize their jutsu or use hand signs."

"How knowledgeable. That's right. There are other sounds too. Or more precisely, there were a lack of other sounds. No sound of cutting wind, of raging fire, or splashing water."

"I note you left out 'crushing stone'."

"Why yes, I did. I suppose that the sound of crushing stone, is an awful lot like crushing bones. If it's bones the stones are crushing, that is. Heh heh heh."

"I see. You're account is quite thorough, for only hearing the fight."

Munoto blushed. "Well, I'm glad to be of help little lady. Heh heh. Tell ya what." He beckoned her closer. Haku leaned forward, and in a low voice he said: "I hear that there are some Stone Ninja in town right now. Wonder what they could want, eh? Heh heh heh."

"You were most helpful. Good day." Haku stood up. With a quick bow, she turned to walk away. There was still a few hours until sundown. She could head to the east side of town. It had been a month, but she might be able to find something by herself.

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It hadn't been a productive day for Zabuza. A stone jonin probably meant that there were more ninja around. Whoever Bashi was, Zabuza had to keep an eye on him. The Mist ninja had spent his time walking around as an obvious target. There wasn't much point in hiding his identity now. Better to provide a distraction while learning about his potential adversaries. So far, he'd identified two other ninjas in Tsurui, in addition to Bashi. They both wore Stone headbands, so it was probably a 3-man squad. While it was possible they were here for another reason, it was only prudent to assume he'd have to kill them eventually. Hopefully Haku or Shirou had more luck their investigations. Now that he was going to meet his tools, Zabuza favored stealth. He left the town in a different, random direction. He then took a very roundabout route to their meeting spot.

He saw that Shirou was already there. The boy had his bow out and an arrow notched. He made a good archer in addition to a swordsman, Zabuza thought ruefully. It was almost like he also possessed a Doujutsu. Shirou's eyes were an unusual golden-brown. Most eye jutsu had a far more distinctive appearance. Heck, Zabuza had seen other ninja with far more exotic eyes and worse vision. No, whatever the secret to the Steel ninja's sight was, it had to do with his unique chakra nature. Zabuza relaxed as he walked forward. With Shirou as a lookout, they weren't going to be ambushed or spied upon.

"Did you find anything?"

"No, Zabuza-sensei. I also haven't seen Haku yet."

"I wonder what she's up to? I'm going to rest for a bit. Stay sharp."

"Yes, Zabuza-sensei."

Zabuza sat down next to the lone tree. He leaned back and closed his eyes. It wasn't that he was being carefree with Shirou around. His hearing was his best sense, and closing his eyes let him focus on it. Shirou could also enhance his hearing, but not as easily as his sight. Perhaps he would make a better archer? Ninja archers were pretty rare. Finding a bow capable of handling a ninja's sheer strength was practically impossible. Wood just wasn't that strong. He'd never even heard of a "Legendary Bow-smith", or whatever you'd call one. It was one reason why most ninja used kunai and senbon. They were cheap. Being destroyed by an attack didn't really matter. Shirou's chakra could strengthen his bow and arrows. It allowed him to shoot at a much greater velocity. It didn't remove archery's other fatal flaw. While you could shoot someone father than you can throw something at them, any half-decent ninja could get out of the way of an arrow. Just because it wasn't as good as a sword, didn't mean they should discount Shirou's bow. If nothing else, it gave the enemy an opportunity to make a mistake. Plus, it did cost stamina to dodge. Every little bit could matter in a close fight.

"She's coming."

Zabuza nodded. It was close to a minute before he heard the familiar footsteps of his first apprentice. "You're late Haku."

"My apologies Zabuza-sama. I found the old man we were searching for, but even with his directions the battlefield eluded me."

"Oh?" Zabuza cracked open an eye. "Where did he say it was?"

"To the east. Unfortunately, 'east' is a very vague term and I failed to ask how far from the village it was."

"No matter. Come morning we'll make the drunk lead us in person. Then there won't be any miscommunication. Shirou, you take the first watch. Haku, you're next."

Shirou and Haku nodded in consent. Zabuza naturally got to take the last watch, which just meant he woke up at around three in the morning. He was going to let his young trainees sleep in. Shirou had other plans. The redhead woke up at five and started making breakfast. Given his lack of materials, and inability to access fresh food from the sealing scrolls, it was a doomed endeavor. In the end, he roasted an orange vegetable he'd bought in town. It wasn't bad, but it was pretty simple. Better than ration bars. The smell woke Haku, and pretty soon the three of them were ready to go.

Haku led the way. She had been the one to speak with Munoto, and she had an idea of his usual haunts. It was around seven that they found him. Zabuza wasted no time. He wasn't about to accept an answer that wasn't "I'll gladly lead you to the location for free." He could see the look of cunning in the rat-like man's eyes. No doubt he'd run away at the first opportunity. That was fine, as long as he took them to the battleground first. The location was four miles out of town.

"What were you doing this far from Tsurui?"

"Eh, you know. Taking a walk."

"At night?"

"What? Is that a crime now?" Zabuza eyed the drunk. There was something he wasn't telling them.

"Whoa!" A crashing noise came from where Shirou had been standing. All that was left now was an open hole.

Haku ran over. "Shirou! Are you ok?"

The boy's voice echoed from the ground. "Yeah, I'm fine. There's a big tunnel here."

Zabuza's hand went to Kubikiribocho. "Spread out!" Tunnels meant earth jutsu. That meant Stone ninja. He and Haku sprinted apart. Munoto stayed by the hole in the ground, a confused look on his face.

"Earth Release: Great Fissure!" Three voices rang out from around them. The sound was immediately swallowed up by a great clashing of rock. Zabuza couldn't stay on his feet, not with the ground buckling and breaking apart. A chasm opened underneath him, and the next thing he knew he was falling. The Mist ninja rolled as he hit the ground, and then kept rolling. He landed in a tunnel. It was at a decent incline, and gravity took the rest. Behind him he could hear shouting. A lot of curse words were being used.

Zabuza rolled out of the tunnel into a large cavern. There was a stench of decay here. Numerous bodies in the first stages of decay lined the walls. There wasn't enough light to make out details. Only a faint amount of reflected sunlight made it's way down the shaft he'd come from. His eyes couldn't see everything, but the echoes left no doubt. That tunnel was the only exit from this room. There was also someone coming down it.

"Hah! That was quite the surprise! Who could've guessed the ground would be riddled with caverns like this!"

"Bashi Osada."

"We meet again, Zabuza of the Hidden Mist. Looks like we will be finding out if your bravado is only for show."

"I'm not surprised that you'd launch a sneak attack like this. It's your bad luck that you're facing off against me."

"Oh, we'll see about that." The grey haired man now had an evil-looking smile on his face. "Can't say I'm not looking forward to this. Earth Style: Stone Armor!"

"Water Style: Hiding in the Mist!" Zabuza called up a dense mist. It wouldn't take much in this lighting to completely blind his opponent. He then dashed forward without making a sound. Kubikiribocho swung at the perfect height to decapitate his opponent. Instead the greatsword impacted a pillar and stopped. No, there was the smell of fresh blood. Hard to make out over the rotten flesh.

"Hah! Looks like even the Demon of the Hidden Mist can penetrate my armor! Now, so you don't run away. Earth Style: Earthen Wall!" The faint light that was diffusing through the mist disappeared. Bashi must've closed off the tunnel.

"Your armor's not so good. Kubikiribocho drew blood. Now you've sealed your fate. Fighting me in perfect darkness is an impossibility!" Zabuza could tell his opponent was now covered with spiky protrusions. He swung again. His sword impacted against Bashi's side. Again there was no give, but the smell of blood increased.

"It's good enough to ward off the likes of you. Or did you think I'm bleeding because of your sword? Hah! My armor's a doubled edged sword, but you'll get a first hand example right now! Earth Style: Stone Spikes."

Zabuza stepped back - right onto a caltrop that had formed from the ground itself. The long thin spike of earth punched through his sandal and into his foot. That would slow him down. Another step left two more punctures in his other foot. The bastard must've blanketed the area with those spikes.

"You can't run. If you move you'll just hurt yourself more. Hah! The fight's mine!"

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Haku sped up, trying to stay ahead of the rolling and cracking earth behind her. Suddenly a large circular area collapsed, with her in the center. The Ice Ninja gracefully landed on one foot before taking a fighting stance. She was now in the middle of a crater a hundred yards wide. A figure came falling out of the sky. From his trajectory, Haku assumed he'd jumped. With a loud crash, the man landed where Haku had been seconds ago. He knelt on one knee, a spider web of cracks emanating from his impact. Haku was already throwing a senbon as she dodged. It hit with a small thunk. The man was wearing stone around himself like armor. It fit him like full-plate, leaving only a small visor around his eyes. Haku's senbon had been deflected without making a scratch.

"A weak attack like that wouldn't hurt me without my armor. You're not going to be any fun." The armored figure dashed at her.

Haku supposed he was moving pretty fast for someone hauling around 300+ pounds of rocks. To her, he was standing still. More senbon bounced off his defenses. The pattern repeated itself a few times. The Stone ninja couldn't catch her, but her senbon were useless. Even his joints were armored. The gaps in the stone had mud in them. Her senbon pierced that, rather than bounce off - but it wasn't nearly deep enough. "That's quite the defense you have. It occurs to me, that not all of you is actually armored." She sent a pair of senbon flying at his eyes. He dodged one, but the other left him half blind.

"Ah! That hurts!" He pulled the spike out. His one eye was bleeding profusely.

"It's just a matter of time before I get the other one. Give up now, I don't want to blind you."

"You think I'll stop over this? Get real. Also, you're not getting another shot at me! Earth Style: Mud field!" The man slammed his hands into the ground. From the epicenter, Haku could make out a change in the ground. It was spreading quickly. Far too quickly! She jumped.

Earth, water, or mud, she could walk on it. "You think this'll slow me down?" Haku landed lightly on her feet. She moved to dash across the ground, and get a better angle on his remaining eye. Her feet didn't move. A quick glance confirmed her fears. Her sandals had stuck to the mud, and were slowly sinking.

"Now who's the sitting duck?" The other ninja smirked. He raised back his arm. "Earth Style: Stone Spear!" A length of brown rock seemed to grow in his hand. Haku narrowed her eyes. Was it her imagination, or did his armor get the tiniest bit smaller? She didn't have any time to contemplate it as the newly created spear was thrown her way.

Haku took out a kunai and cut the straps of her sandals. With a quick jump, she avoided the spear. She twisted in mid-air and thew another volley of senbon at her opponent's good eye. "You know what I have that you don't? Depth perception."

The Stone ninja raised his arm to block. The senbon bounced of it harmlessly. "You know what I have? A place to land." Haku glanced down. Her jump had avoided the spear, but she was going to land in the mud. No matter how much she twisted to adjust her trajectory, there was no place to land that wasn't covered in it.

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The earth shook and Shirou could only guess what was happening. Munoto then fell into the tunnel next to him. In hindsight, this was a pretty safe place. The earth had already collapsed. Unless there was another tunnel beneath them, they were safe for the moment.

Shirou helped the old man to his feet. "Are you ok sir?"

"I'm fine sonny, but I get the feeling something bad is about to happen."

"Something worse than this?" The earth beneath their feet heaved up and down. A huge cloud of dust enveloped them. The dust was thick, but Zabuza's mist was thicker. Shirou poured chakra into his eyes. He had to see what was coming.

There! A faint stirring in the dust. "Get down!" Shirou yelled as he tackled Munoto to the side. A large rock flew through where the two of them had been standing. Shirou got to one knee and drew and released an arrow back along the boulder's path.

"Hey! That stung a little." The dust was settling, and Shirou could make out who spoke. It was a figure covered head to toe in rocks. How had he spoken?

Shirou supposed it didn't matter, as he quickly shot another arrow. It was no more successful than the last. "Munoto-san, you should run away. That's a ninja. I don't want you caught up in this."

"That's a nice sentiment, sonny. I think they might have other ideas."

Shirou glanced around. Five more humanoids made of stone were spread out surrounding them. "Yeah, neither of you are leaving here." "Not unless you can get past all of us." "Me? I'm guessing you'll die in the crossfire." The stone people took turns talking. Then they all slammed their hands into the ground simultaneously. "Earth Release: Boulder Barrage!"

Shirou grabbed Munoto and ducked and weaved around the hail of stones. One clipped his arm. He spun around. Another hit him in the leg, and he fell over. "Ah, that hurts." If he hadn't reinforced his body, then his bones would've been crushed. Shirou staggered to his feet, and drew another arrow.

"Wooden arrows can't pierce our stone." A mocking retort came from one of the stone figures.

"My arrows may be wooden, but my body is Steel!" Shirou was pouring chakra into his arrow as he spoke. The words resonated within him. It was if he brushed against a truth. In response his chakra surged. The arrow in his hand seemed to shake with power. Again it flew straight, and again it struck the stone figure in the chest. This time it kept going, leaving a fist-sized hole in it's wake.

The figure muttered a "What?" Then his form dissolved into mud and collapsed. "Close in! Don't let him shoot again!" Another stone ninja cried. The remaining humanoids charged.

"Stay behind me. I'll protect you!" Shirou reassured his civilian companion. The redhead dropped his bow and began to unsheathed his twin swords.

"I don't suppose I could get something to defend myself with sonny?"

"Here." Shirou paused to draw a kunai from his pouch. He held the small knife behind him for the old man to take.

Munoto crouched down, trying to keep Shirou between and the charging ninja. "You have an interesting jutsu there boy. You're also too trusting." The rat-like man moved suddenly. Blood sprayed onto the ground at Shirou's feet.

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Zabuza had struck Bashi twice more with Kubikiribocho, for no effect. In return the Stone Ninja laughed. "You're still moving well, despite what your feet must be like now. Oh, I get it. Hah! Clever, but now you'll have no where to hide. Earth Style: Stone Spikes." Zabuza cursed. He'd been staying on the wall between attacks. Now both the walls and the ceiling were covered in those needle-sharp rocks. His sandals had been shredded. They fell off a minute ago, leaving his feet defenseless. Not that they had blocked the spikes. His feet felt like pin-cushions. Blood loss was setting in. Channeling chakra through his injured feet was getting harder and harder.

"Hyah!" With a shout he swung Kubikiribocho at the ground. His sword could take the punishment, the spikes couldn't. The sound had alerted Bashi. Zabuza could sense his approach. His opponent barreled past him. There was no technique to his swings, rather he was trying to use his girth to his advantage.

Bashi charged again and again. After the third attempt, he stopped. "Earth Style: Stone Spikes!" The ground that he'd trampled over sharpened again. Zabuza had been following in the larger man's footsteps. Those had been a safezone. As the Stone Ninja slammed his hands to the ground, Zabuza leap up. He brought Kubikiribocho down to the ground before he landed. The impact created another space free of the earth jutsu. It also alerted Bashi to his presence. Zabuza didn't know who could keep this up longer. The earth shaping must take it's drain on Bashi's chakra, but Zabuza was tiring quickly.

"Is that the best you can do? Barrel willy nilly through you're own minefield?" If he could get his opponent talking, then it would provide him a reprieve.

"Hah! My armor protects me."

"I can smell your blood. You've lost nearly as much as me, and you've spent a lot more chakra."

"Hah! I'm not the one wasting chakra on mist in total darkness. My armor may take it's toll, but it's still better than the sandals you used to wear. I found them you see. Now that you're barefooted, one wrong step will spell your doom."

"Just like any other battle. Unfortunately for you, I'll never take that step!"

"Oh, but I think you will. I'm done giving you a safe place to walk. Earth Style: Stone Shuriken!"

Zabuza couldn't see the attack, but Kubikiribocho could act as a large shield if necessary. Stone shards plinked off it's side. More impacted Zabuza from the side. He grunted in pain. The water clone was formed without seals or words. The mist had provided enough substance for him to finally create one. "Your aim is horrible." The clone only had time to utter that one line, before it was destroyed by the spikes. The diversion worked. The next volley of Shuriken went towards it's location. Zabuza focused on slowing his breaths. He needed all the energy he could muster.

"Where are you? My stones will flay your skin!"

The sound of stone hitting stone started to echo throughout the cavern. Bashi was getting agitated. Zabuza saw his chance. Another leap took him to within striking distance of the Stone Ninja. Kubikiribocho didn't soften his landing this time. Spikes drove into his feet. He'd be crippled until he got treatment. Perhaps permanently. His sacrifice and brought Bashi into striking distance, and the other ninja didn't know. Kubikiribocho came up and through.

"Do you know why I kept the mist up now? Stone 'beats' water by absorbing it. If it absorbs too much, it's not really stone anymore is it? I guess mud armor doesn't work as well? Hah!"

Bashi's decapitated head didn't answer.

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"Secret Technique: Demonic Ice!" Haku ran through a series of hand signs mid-air. Her now bare feet landed on a smooth ice platform that was now floating a foot above the mud. Three senbon were thrown at her opponent. One struck his forehead, one lodged in his outstretched palm, and the third struck his neck.

"Earth Release: Quartz Armor!" The rocky hands made some signs. They then went to the ninja's face. The gap in his stone armor was now filled with a clear rock. "Let's see if you can find a hole now. I guarantee that one doesn't exist!" Haku responded by throwing more senbon. The darts plinked off his head and neck - once again with no visible effect. "Earth Release: Mud Ball!"

A baseball sized glob of mud sprung out of the ground close to where the Stone Ninja had slammed his hands. The projectile flew towards Haku. "Secret Technique: Demonic Ice!" She leapt away, onto another suspended plane of ice. More senbons flew through the air. "Do you know the main distinction in water jutsu? I'm betting you don't." Her opponent snarled and more mud flew at the female ninja. "Secret Technique: Demonic Ice!" A third platform formed, and Haku nimbly dodged the attack. "There are two main categories. Techniques that produce water, and techniques that shape it."

"Oh, and that's relevant to your ice how?"

"It's not. My ice is a special case. It doesn't follow water jutsu conventions."

"Then why tell me?"

"Well, mud is water and earth right? I figured the Hidden Stone doesn't have that many water ninja, so you could use all the help you could get."

"Why you! Earth Release: Mud Hand!" A three foot wide hand emerged from the ground. It dripped and oozed mud. The hand then smashed down on the ice that Haku was standing on. She vacated the location with time to spare. "Which do you think are more easily made? My mud or your ice?"

More senbon bounced off the armor. "It doesn't really matter, does it? I mean, you can't destroy my ice with an attack like that. Also, no matter how sticky that mud of yours is, it'll slide right off of it." As Haku taunted the other ninja, her words were proven true. The remains of the mud hand slid off of the ice and dripped back to the ground. She quickly followed up with another flurry of metal spikes.

"Dodge this! Earth Release: Mud Tsunami!" At the edge of the crater, a wave of mud formed. It grew bigger and bigger as it picked up speed. "Even if you jump over it, all your ice will still be covered upon your landing!"

Haku threw more senbon towards his face. The wave of mud was now easily twenty feet high, and was gaining more mass each passing second. "Secret Technique: Demonic Ice Mirror!" A vertical section of ice appeared high in the sky. It's surface reflected the light of the sun.

"That won't do you any good! It's still within my range! Mud expand!" Upon the ninja's command, the wave of mud surged up and over the battlefield. Even Haku's newly created mirror was coated. "Told you you couldn't avoid it."

"Actually, I did." Haku stood on an ice platform that was at least a hundred feet in the air.

"But, but, that's too far to jump!"

"For you it would be." Haku hopped down. The mud had slipped off the ice platforms by the time she landed. Another barrage of senbons quickly followed.

"Why do you persist with that annoying attack? You've seen my armor has no weaknesses!"

"Hmmm, well if you must know, I suppose it's because of Shirou."

"Who?"

"My fellow tool. I'm not as good at the technique, but that doesn't mean I can't perform it."

"What technique? Can he use ice too?"

"No, no. Not that. I mean reinforcing stuff with chakra. Except I don't really 'reinforce'. I guess it has to do with my elements. Water and ice don't do much when put into a senbon. Wind? That's a different matter."

"Wind?"

"Like I said, I'm not as good. So it took me a while to chip away enough to make a hole." Haku's form blurred. She was now standing on the ice platform behind the Stone Ninja. A single senbon was sticking out of his neck. "Ah, it didn't go all the way though. Guess the armor on the other side stopped it. Still, in the end it was enough right?" Her opponent fell over. "I hope this mud dissolves soon. I didn't go through all that effort for you to suffocate on me."

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Shirou looked at the blood on the ground, then back at the small man behind him. Munoto had slashed the palm of his hand with the kunai. "I mean, if I was your opponent, you'd have just given me both the weapon and the opportunity to stab you in the back. Might want to stand back for this." He then slammed his bloody limb to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Shirou jumped away, barely escaping the circle of symbols emanating from the old man's hand. There was an explosion and a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, the redhead and the five Stone Ninja all stopped and gawked at the newly arrived creature. It stood ten feet tall and twelve feet wide. It's clawed hands clutched a sword that hung sheathed by it's side. Small round shades sat upon it's furry snout and protected it's eyes. "So it was you." One of the stone-clad ninja spoke. "Shoyo Nakatomi. Missing nin, and bearer of the Scroll of the Moles."

"Man, I knew killing those bandits was stupid. All I want to do is drink in peace. Is that so wrong?"

"You can't be allowed take away one of The Hidden Stone's assets! The Mole Summoning Scroll is too valuable to lose."

"You talk as if he carries it around with him, human." The mole's voice was rough. "Nakatomi-san has a contract with us, but the scroll itself resides under our protection."

"Then let me sign it!"

The giant mole shook it's head. "That would only be if you proved yourself worthy. Since you're about to be dead, I don't see that happening." He then drew his sword. It was the same size as Zabuza's preferred blade, but in the mole's hands it looked more like a regular katana. A story instantly came to Shirou's mind. Chikyuukou - the hardened blade. Forged by the moles more than a century ago, it was a chakra blade that incorporated a nature transformation. It would only accept earthen chakra, but it enhanced every aspect of the sword. Earth's durability, Wind's cutting, Water's density. Nothing flashy like Fire or Electricity. The effect was almost exactly the same as his own Steel reinforcement.

Shirou reinforced his butterfly swords and dashed at one of the ninja. His blows gouged the stone armor. "Not enough." He mumbled to himself. The counterattack was slow. Abysmally slow compared to Haku. Carrying all that weight couldn't be easy. Shirou dodged around it. His blades became sharper and heavier. He poured more chakra into both them and his arms. The next strike tore through the stone and revealed packed earth inside. The soil spilled out like blood would've in a human. A quick stroke later, and the golem was without it's head. Shirou turned, only to find the rest of the Stone Ninja already dead.

Chikyuukou thrummed with power. The blade had carved through the stone armor as if it were nothing more than paper. The mole apparently didn't share Shirou's restraint. "What about him Shoyo?"

"He's not an enemy, Mokyuuran. In fact, I'm thinking he might just fit your definition of 'worthy'."

"Does he now?" The mole leaned in, his nose sniffing. "I'll trust your judgement." He then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"So, what do you say boy? Getting contracted to a summoning is a quite the boon."

Shirou looked around. Zabuza and Haku were still missing. Hopefully they'd escaped the earthquake the golem ninja had made. Summoning Moles sounded like it could be useful. "Sure!"

"Ok then." Shoyo slammed his still-bleeding palm to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu: Shomoru!"

A regular-sized mole appeared. He wore reading glasses on his nose, and had a scroll tied to his back. Shirou didn't see any weapons. The tiny animal raised his claws to shade his eyes. "What do you want Shoyo?"

Shoyo had taken out his gourd, and was busy drinking. After a few more gulps, he lowered it back down and let out a burp. "I want to let this kid here sign the scroll."

"Hmmmmmm... weeelllllll if you saaaay so." Shomoru slowly and methodically untied the scroll from his back and rolled it out on the ground. Several names were written, each with five dots beneath them.

"So what do I do?" Shirou looked down at the scroll.

"Sign it with your blood. Be sure to put plenty of chakra in it."

"Ok." Shirou took out a kunai and cut his index finger. He channeled chakra into his blood as best he could. With an unpracticed hand, he spelled out 'SHIROU' in large blocky letters.

"Now put blood on each of your fingertips and place your palm on the scroll."

"Oh, so those are what the dots are." Shirou complied, but nothing happened. "Is that all?"

"Well, that's odd. The chakra in your blood should react with the scroll. Something should've happened. You might not be compatible after all. Sorry kid." Shoyo was looking over his shoulder.

"He could already have a contract. You caaaan't have two." Shomoru whined as he rolled the scroll back up.

"You can summon boy? Why didn't you say so?"

Shirou blinked. "I don't think I can."

"Is that so? Well, who knows. Give it a shot." He took another long draw from his gourd. "Anyways, thanks for your help with those Hidden Stone ninjas! Take care!" Shoyo walked away while waving behind him. The small mole just shrugged his shoulders and disappeared with a small pop.

"Well, I found out what happened to the bandits. That'll make Zabuza-sensei happy." Shirou looked around. "I wonder where he and Haku are?"

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"Zabuza-sama, please sit still. I need to finish bandaging your wounds." Haku was methodically applying a healing salve she'd made to her teacher's feet. Zabuza was not an easy patient.

"I'm fine." The older jonin began putting on a new pair of sandals. "We can sit around all day long. Bad enough that it wasn't actually Kabutowari. We get trapped in tunnels made by ninja moles. Shirou manages to sign their contract, but it doesn't work for him!"

"Boar. Dog. Bird. Monkey. Ram. Summoning Jutsu!" Off to the side Shirou cried out his new technique and placed his hand on the ground.

"Nothing huh?" Haku shook her head. "Are you sure the old man said you might have a contract already?"

"Shirou, I'm telling you it's not possible. Before I found you, you couldn't access your chakra. Even if you'd found a summoning scroll at such a young age, and managed to convince it's bearer to let you sign, you'd still wouldn't have been able to." Zabuza began clamoring to his feet.

"I know Zabuza-sensei, but shouldn't I at least try? I mean, the hand symbols are the same for each animal, so if I do have a contract it should work."

"If you want to keep wasting chakra and cutting yourself, be my guest." Zabuza turned to his more rational pupil. "C'mon Haku let's go."

Shirou noticed they had left after almost a minute. "Hey! Wait for me!"


	3. Zabuza's Apprentice 3

"Secret Technique: Demonic Ice Mirror." Shirou heard Haku call out her ultimate technique. She had tried to explain it to him before. Shirou couldn't fully grasp it. It was a combination between multiple other jutsu. None of which Shirou was capable of using. She'd trapped her opponent. That was it then. Nothing could escape Haku's ice. Even if you could see her movements, her speed was too much. It wasn't perfect. She could only throw senbon or land glancing blows while using it. That wasn't really a flaw. Haku didn't like killing. So her ice mirrors were a good excuse to wear her opponents out rather than a more lethal option. Shirou wanted to turn his head and see how his fellow tool was doing. That would take his eyes off of the entrance. Someone could then slip by. There was no way he'd fail Zabuza in such a fashion.

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6 years ago...

It was a few days after they left Tsurui. Shirou had just finished setting up camp. The stew would take a couple of hours to finish. Even though they hadn't found one of the missing swords, they'd completed their mission. Zabuza was now willing to take a slower pace back. That meant stopping early so they could get a good meal and some personal instruction from the jonin. "Zabuza-sensei, why do ninjas state the name of their attacks? Wouldn't it be better to not give any warning? Or better yet, say the name of a different jutsu?"

"It's the same reason why we use hand signs Shirou." Zabuza was cleaning Kubikiribocho. That always put him in a good mood. He glanced up and noticed his apprentice still looked confused. "Molding chakra is not a precise art. It contains our mental energy. We should be able to manipulate it as easily as moving our hands, but very few ever get that level of control. Hand signs help our bodies get used to shaping in a certain way. As someone gets better with a technique, they can start using fewer and fewer signs."

"I know that, but hand signs don't give as much away."

"Don't be so sure about that. If I see the Tiger Sign, then odds are fire's coming my way."

"Hmmm..." Shirou stoked the fire. "And saying the name of the technique is the same?"

"Chakra is physical and mental energy. Hand signs help focus the physical, vocalizations help focus the mental." Zabuza was apparently satisfied with Kubikiribocho's cleanliness. He began wrapping bandages around the gigantic sword.

"Oh. That makes sense. I guess someone COULD say something else, but they would have to be able to use the technique without saying anything first."

"It'd be harder than that. It'd be like trying to look both left and right at the same time."

"So if I said something during a fight, and it helped my reinforcement jutsu, then that's why?" Shirou drew an arrow from his quiver. He held it in his hands. "Steel Release: Reinforcement!"

Zabuza looked at him expectantly. "You tried that before, and nothing happened right?"

"Yeah. It's the same level. What did I say then...'My arrows are wood, but my body is Steel'." The arrow in his hand felt heavier, denser, more powerful. "That worked, but it didn't feel quite right."

"Your chakra is odd." Zabuza omitted that it was because Shirou's mind was odd. "It's a unique bloodline, so you'll have to come up with a vocalization for yourself. Try using fewer words, and changing the order. Some experimentation should do it now that you've got a working phrase. Refine it."

"Yes, Zabuza-sensei." Some time passed. Shirou sat with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed. Zabuza began to take kunai out of storage scrolls to inspect and clean. "Zabuza-sensei." Shirou spoke up. "Who made Kubikiribocho?"

"Eh? I don't know the name of the smith if that's what you're asking. He's long dead in any case."

"Hmmm..." Shirou gave a noncommittal sound.

"Why do you ask? Did you want him to make you a sword of your own?" Zabuza asked with a grin.

"It's just that I have this history of Kubikiribocho that I've made up in my mind. It's pretty complete, but I'd rather know the truth."

"History that you've made up?"

"Yeah, like who forged it. What it's made of. Who's wielded it. That kinda of stuff." Shirou stood up.

"You're making up stories about my sword?" Zabuza put down the kunai he was holding, and leaned forward.

"It's not just Kubikiribocho. I make up stories about every sword I see. Also other weapons if I stop and think about it." Shirou waved his hand side to side in front of him. "Kubikiribocho has the best story though!"

Zabuza held up a kunai. "What comes to mind when you see this?"

Shirou had returned to the stew pot. He glanced over. "Newly made. Eight months ago. A smith name Fuku crafted it, and you've carried it ever since."

"And this one?" Zabuza placed the first kunai on the ground in front of him, while he held a second one up.

"That one was made by someone called Tori. It was given to a large looking man with scars called Basalt. You took it off his corpse."

"What about this one?" Zabuza held up a third kunai.

"That was made by Hanashi. You bought it three years ago. You haven't used it yet." Content that dinner was coming along fine. Shirou covered the stew.

"Shirou."

"Yes?"

"Close your eyes." Shirou did so. "Now open them." The three kunai were laid out in front of Zabuza in a row. "Which kunai is which?"

Shirou poked a stick into the fire. "The leftmost was crafted by Fuku, as is the center one. They're not the same kunai as before. The one on the right is from Basalt. Oh! And I meant my right, not yours Zabuza-sensei."

"Shirou. I can't confirm what you might know about Kubikiribocho. But your 'stories' about these kunai are one hundred percent accurate."

"What?" Shirou looked up. "That's ridiculous. How could I guess something like that?"

"You couldn't." Zabuza looked at his apprentice. Shirou's confusion was obvious. "You know the history of a weapon by looking at it. It must be another aspect of your bloodline ability."

"Oh." Shirou was satisfied the fire was doing well, and moved back to sit under a tree.

Zabuza stared at him for several minutes. The redhead didn't seem to understand the significance of this. "Shirou. Let me explain about sensory techniques, and why they're so useful."

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Haku sat in the ship's hold practicing controlling her chakra. The advanced exercise was to take a drop of water and move it using less common tenketsu points. Basically, any that weren't on the hands or feet. It was hard. She had managed to get most of her arm's tenketsu working. Well, it wasn't like they weren't working before. Rather, she'd been able to move the drop of water around with them - in a very jerky motion. Gravity was still doing most of the work. Unlike her hands and feet, using chakra expelled from her arms felt unnatural. At least the water moved. When using her legs or back, she was as inept as Shirou. The boy couldn't do even the most basic of chakra control exercises.

"Haku." Zabuza entered the room.

"Yes, Zabuza-sama?"

"It's time we started training your sensing ability." He moved Kubikiribocho from its place on his back, and leaned it against the wall.

"I'm not a sensor ninja. Am I?" Haku grasped the drop of water with chakra from a finger. She then flicked it away. Moisture was not an issue on a ship.

"Heh. Tell me. Can you sense this?" Zabuza turned to face her. An image came to her mind. Zabuza cutting her down with Kubikiribocho. It was certain. Nothing she could do would allow her to avoid her death. Haku froze. "I'll take that as a yes."

Just as suddenly as the pressure came, it was gone. "W-what was that?" Her hands were shaking involuntarily.

"It's a B-rank technique. Or you could call it a no-rank technique. The level I just used it at would be B-ranked. That, was killing intent."

"I felt intent?"

"More like I broadcast it. See, every ninja is a sensor. It's just that only a few are good at it. Sensing chakra is more guesswork than anything without a special ability or technique. Using sound, air-pressure, or water ripples is much more reliable."

"Aren't those all just sound waves?"

"Yes. There are other ways to detect someone, such as scent. Vibrations are more useful, and less likely to be turned against you. A sensitive nose can be a detriment."

"What about heat?"

"Sensing changes in temperature? I'm not surprised a Yuki clan member would think so such a thing. No. I've never heard of a technique like that." Zabuza waved his hand in front of him. "That doesn't make it a bad idea. In fact, if you could sense people by their body temperatures, you'd have a huge advantage. If someone doesn't know something is possible, they can't defend against it."

"So, why not focus on one of those?"

"In time, you'll focus on all of them. Combining senses yields far better results than using just one. We're going to start with sensing chakra for two reasons." Zabuza sat down in front of her cross-legged. "First, it's a much more generic sensing technique. It's applicable in nearly every situation. Second, you'll need me around to practice. Shirou's chakra is too faint. As are the sailors. I can have my chakra ebb and flow to make sensing me easier."

"You're not going to use killing intent again, are you?" The though sent an involuntary shudder through the female ninja.

"No. You don't need to be a sensor to detect that." Zabuza rapped on the wooden floor with his right hand. "I'll do that every time I increase or decrease my chakra. You then have to state which I did."

"How will I be able to tell?"

"You might not be. I'll make it extreme at the beginning." The air around Zabuza thickened. A shape of a demonic head seemed to surround him. Then the air thinned, as if it were an illusion. "My chakra can be seen with the visible eye if I make it thick enough. So there should be no way for you to miss it by sensing."

"But, how do I do it?"

"Haku. Just like you use chakra to stand on water, or stick to the ground, it effects everything it touches. Chakra reacts to chakra. Close your eyes. Focus on the chakra in your coils. You can make it rise and fall, correct?"

"Yes, Zabuza-sama. That's an intermediate control exercise."

"This is the same, but you'll be trying to keep it at the same exact level. It wants to fluctuate. Your breaths, your heartbeat, even your thoughts cause it to change slightly. Even it out. Let it be a clear block of ice that doesn't contract or expand."

"Ok. I think I have it."

"Now feel how it changes when I do this." Zabuza knocked on the floor.

"It...changed."

"How?"

"It shifted away from you, then shifted back."

"Open your eyes."

Haku obeyed. The demonic aura was around Zabuza again. "So it changed because yours did."

"Exactly. Everything is connected. You have to learn to center your chakra, and then interpret its changes."

"I understand." Haku closed her eyes.

"Then let's begin. *knock*"

"Less."

"Correct. *knock*"

"Less."

"Correct. *knock*"

"More."

"Wrong. *knock*"

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4 years ago...

"Trace On." Shirou incanted his jutsu. After confirming some details about several kunai's pasts with Zabuza, Shirou had proof. What he felt about swords was real. The fighting style, the composition, their history, all of it. With some effort, he was able to grasp not only swords, but all other weapons. It didn't come as easily. It took a conscious decision, unlike swords that were automatically analyzed. The ability gave him knowledge of their wielder too. The longer their current owner had used them, the more Shirou knew of their fighting style. Habits were laid bare. Techniques and tricks were revealed. It was a powerful and unique type of sensory jutsu Zabuza had said. Shirou was now working on applying it to other objects. At first he'd had no luck, but he'd recently figured out the words to his technique.

'Trace On' - it worked both as a way to invoke his sensory jutsu, and as a way to channel more chakra. When he said it while letting his chakra flow through him, it was more powerful. More focused. In an effort to vocalize his jutsu, he'd tried 'Trace On' with them all. And it had worked! It wasn't the best he could do. He knew that. In reinforcing swords, it was still worse than 'Steel is my body'. So far, those were the only two phrases that had any effect. Of course, he only effectively had two jutsu, so it made sense. He just wished he had a way to specially enhance his body reinforcement. Coupled with 'Trace on', his sensory jutsu was incredible. For non-weapons he couldn't visualize the history of an item, but it laid out all the physical details plainly in his mind. What it was made of. How it moved. What its purpose was.

"..rou. Shirou!" Haku shook him.

"Huh? Oh, hey Haku."

"Don't 'hey' me! You were out of it for a minute there!" His big sister, who was now shorter than him by a good foot, crossed her arms.

"I was just looking at the seal. You were right, I was able to grasp it." Shirou reached out to the sealing scroll. "Trace On." He muttered again. He could grasp simple things without a vocalization, but seals were not simple. "I can see it laid out before me, but it's way to complex to understand."

"Zabuza-sama says that fuinjutsu is hard. The vast majority of ninja can't do it. Those that do rarely advance beyond the most basic seals."

"I can see why. There's nothing I can compare it to. Even grasping the human body is simpler, and that's saying something."

"If you can't understand it, what good is analyzing it then?" Haku walked around him and bent over to examine the scroll.

"Well, for one, I can see where to inject chakra into it." Shirou didn't know HOW the seal took chakra in and used it summon or seal away an item. He could see what the seal was meant to do, and how to trigger it. A slight pulse of chakra into the scroll, in the right place, with the correct intent...

"Ah!" Haku stumbled back. The extra kunai holder that was in the seal appeared in a puff of smoke. "Hey, where are the kunai?"

"Right." Another puff of smoke. "Here. Even the basic seals have provisions for summoning only part of their inventory."

"That's really neat Shirou!" Haku smiled. Shirou lost himself in it for a second, before smiling back. It really was neat. He would be useful to Zabuza. "So how does it work?"

"Well, it's kinda like reinforcing, but sending the chakra out and back, not strengthening." Shirou put his hand to his chin. "Still the steps are the same. First I have to judge the concept of it's creation. It's origin, or it's initial reason for being made. The next step is..."

Haku held up her hand. "Shirou. Stop. How many steps are there?"

"There are seven."

"And you do this every time you reinforce or scan something?"

"Well, yeah. That's the proper way to do it." Shirou stared her straight in the eyes.

"Ok, ok, I know that look. You don't have to list the steps for me. It's enough to say it's the same process as reinforcing."

"It's the same process as reinforcing." Shirou parroted back.

"Right. Try and grasp this." Haku raced through some hand signs. "Secret Technique: Demonic Ice Mirror." Ice appeared mid-air. It was a thin sheet with shiny and reflective sides.

"I'll try. Trace On." Shirou touched the ice. It felt cold and slick. "It's made of... water... and your chakra." He closed his eyes and focused on the information he could discern. "That's all I can tell."

"What? You can't tell it's purpose? Or I guess concept?"

"It's not like a seal. They're made to do something very specific. They have to state exactly what they're doing. The information's not just condensed, it's written into its very fabric." Shirou took his hand away from the ice. "Your mirror can probably do a lot of things right? It's all how you use it. Compare it to an explosive tag that can do only one thing."

Haku frowned. "I see your point. It would've been great if you could see through enemy jutsu."

"I'd still have to touch it." Shirou crossed his arms. "I guess there might be some jutsu where that's viable."

"Yeah, but not many."

"Your mirror's looking good." Shirou turned from Haku to face the mirror.

"Thank you." Haku moved next to Shirou. They looked at their reflections.

"Is it complete?"

"It's main function of letting me merge with it works. That allows it's secondary function of being a shunshin platform to be a lot more effective. I've also figured out how to change the image in it." The mirror suddenly showed a reflection of Zabuza standing behind them. Shirou turned to look, but their teacher wasn't there.

"That's pretty cool, Haku! I still don't understand the shunshin jutsu, or why you need a platform for it."

"If you could perform it, you'd see what I mean."

"Yeah, but you say it's just moving fast. How is that different from reinforcing your legs and sprinting."

"It's like water-walking. No wait, bad example." Haku thought for a bit. Shirou's chakra didn't repel or connect. He couldn't walk on walls or water. It strengthened, and that was about it. "Ok, so the shunshin basically focuses your chakra to move quickly. Far more quickly then your muscles can move, since it's pure chakra. It's hard to use mainly because fine-tuning the amount of chakra is rough."

"Isn't more better?"

"Not in most cases. There are lots of variables to how much chakra relates to how fast you go. The faster you go, the harder it is to control. If you're trying to appear on a branch, you need to boost yourself by enough to get there. Then you have to counter-boost to stop."

"That sounds hard to do in combat."

"It is. Kinda like the replacement technique. You have to have it readied before the attack lands."

"So the mirror's help with it?"

"By merging with them, I don't have to worry about stopping."

Shirou banged his fist into his palm. "I get it! So you can go all-out."

"That's right."

"So you could end our spars in an instant if you wanted to!" Shirou seemed happy at this thought.

"Uhm, not quite. I COULD crash into you at full-speed, but that's not going to do me a lot of good. I'd be hurt just as much, possibly more."

"Oh."

"That's why I always use glancing blows, or better yet thrown weapons."

"Makes sense. You could also use a bow!"

"I prefer senbons."

Shirou's brow furrowed for a second. "Hey, Haku-nee. What happens if the mirror breaks while you're inside it?"

Haku frowned. "I honestly don't know. While I'm inside the chakra construct, I'm pure chakra myself. So I might disperse, or I might be fine."

"That's not very reassuring."

"Don't worry Shirou-chan." Haku chided him. "The ice's really tough. I'm not sure what can even crack it."

"So you could hide it in from an attack."

"Probably. If I can get the replacement jutsu to work with the mirrors or the images, then that'd be a lot safer of an option."

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2 years ago...

Tonight was the night. The true end of the Bloody Mist. Zabuza had tried to end it before he even graduated. Killing off an entire class. It was a high price to pay, but it had now saved more lives then he'd taken. Students fighting to the death? It was barbaric, and wasteful. Why would the Mizukage come up with such an absurd idea in the first place? Why would everyone go along with it? When he was a child, Zabuza didn't understand politics. He'd thought that pointing out obvious flaws would lead to them being fixed. It had worked with the graduation test. As he grew up, he learned to compromise. No more. The plan had been in his mind ever since that day. The only way was to kill the Mizukage. Like all problems, violence was the answer.

Zabuza was strong. He'd acquired pristine tools. He'd gathered useful allies. Except for Raiga - who'd abandoned the village, and Jinin - who was dead. The remaining swordsmen were with him. The elite of the Hidden Mist, and the newest members - the 'Demon Brothers'. The pair were skilled, for chunin. He didn't know what the future would bring once Yagura was dead. This was likely a suicide mission. Whomever became the next leader of their village would have to do better.

"Mangetsu, Kushimaru, Jinpachi, Kisame, Gozu, and Meizu." He turned to address each of his collaborators. "I'm glad everyone of you decided to join me. Tonight we kill the Mizukage. He's in the sealing chamber again. It's far away from the main village, so we only have to worry about his Anbu escort."

"Heh, those won't be a match for us." Kushimaru spoke from behind his mask. "We trained most of them ourselves. It'll be child's play to take them out before anyone knows what's happening."

"Exactly. You and Jinpachi will focus on the area outside the building. Mangetsu, you and Kisame will take out the guards inside. Haku and I will move to immobilize Yagura."

"You think you can take out the Mizukage with just you and a little girl?" The blue-skinned ninja asked. Zabuza didn't like Kisame. Fuguki had been a friend. He'd also been a traitor, so he couldn't really blame their newest member.

"Yes, we can." Zabuza raised his hand to counter a retort. "However, we won't leave it at just that. Once the two of you eliminate the inside Anbu, you're to help us. If everything goes as planned, we'll be finished before you get there."

"But nothing ever goes as planned." Magetsu added. "What about the kids?"

"Shirou will be our long range scout." Zabuza motioned to the redhead's bow. "He's best at taking out reinforcements from a distance and giving us warning. Gozu and Meizu will be with him. They'll be our backup in case of interference." Zabuza didn't add 'and so Shirou can watch them.' Reserve pieces were useful, but the two newest Swordsmen of the Mist were untested in his eyes. They had pledged their loyalty to the Seven Swordsmen and to him, but that oath had yet to be proven. That was part of the reason they had only known the goal of tonight, not any of the details.

"If you say so Zabuza." Jinpachi had an wicked smile on his face. "You won't mind if Kushimaru and I also keep our eyes out?"

"Feel free." Zabuza wasn't about to make demands of the 'Heartless Pair'. They would be perfect shinobi - if they just stopped taking pleasure in their killing. A true ninja felt nothing. "You have more experience and skill after all."

"I'm glad that you brought help, Zabuza-san." Magetsu nodded to Shirou. "This is an important task, and you never know who might be a vital piece. I'm glad to have you with us, Shirou-san."

Zabuza gave a snort. Yeah, he definitely hated modesty. Shirou and Magetsu, they could've been brothers. In temperament if not appearance and abilities. Magetsu was humble, but he was the only person to ever master all seven swords. Even the picky Samehada took a liking to him. "Yagura spends long hours in the sealing chamber. That doesn't mean we have time to spare. Once we succeed, we'll need to lay low for a while."

"You can say that again Zabuza." Kushimaru had his needle-like sword out. "Even controversial Kages like Yagura have their supporters." The masked ninja nodded to Jinpachi, and the pair vanished in a shunshin. Only a fine mist was left behind.

"Shall we depart Kisame-san?" Magetsu turned to his partner.

"Yeah, let's get this over and done with." The blue-skinned ninja hefted Samehada before vanishing along side Magetsu.

"We'll be waiting for you Shirou." Gozu smirked. "Try not to get lost." The Demon Brothers then sprinted away.

Haku and Shirou looked at Zabuza expectantly. "One second." He reached into one of his pouches and took out two Mist forehead protectors. "Today the two of you are ninjas of the Village Hidden in the Mist. You won't be formally recognized today, or perhaps for a long time. Once the Mizukage is dead, and a better one put in his place, then you'll be seen as the heroes you are." Shirou and Haku gratefully accepted the gifts. "Now, are you ready?" Zabuza put on his Anbu mask. It was white with thin, curved eye-holes and a red wavy design on the lower half. Four wavy lines were on it's forehead - the symbol of the Village Hidden in the Mist.

Shirou wrapped his black cloth around his head, and then tied the headband on top of it. Haku tucked her's underneath her bangs and then tied it on her head. The pair of them nodded.

"Good." Zabuza mask hid his grin. "Haku, Shirou! Let's go."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama!" "Yes, Zabuza-sensei!"

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Shirou stood just inside the entryway of the sealing chamber. The building itself was mostly underground. The structure was designed not to withstand assaults from the outside, but to contain power within it. The Steel Ninja didn't know what they sealed inside the building, but it was undoubtedly dangerous. Was that what the Mizukage was up to? Shirou had gleaned information about the way the Village Hidden in the Mist operated from Zabuza and Haku. It didn't seem like a friendly place. That must be why Zabuza was trying to change it.

Now that he knew his hunches about swords were much more than that, it was easier to read people. Or at least it was easy to read swordsmen. Kushimaru Kuriarare was the wielder of Nuibari. With that needle sword, he'd killed, maimed, tortured, and crucified countless people. Jinpachi Munahi was the wielder of Shibuki. Despite it's title, Shirou didn't consider the 'Blastsword' to be a sword. It was a dangerous weapon, yes, but not a sword. If Shirou had to describe it, it would be like a bladed scroll. The size was wrong, the shape was wrong, it didn't cut. It was nothing more than a way to deliver explosive tags. A particularly suicidal way.

Still, it was better than 'Samehada'. Shirou didn't know what it was, but it wasn't a sword. It wasn't a weapon. He just couldn't grasp it. Since Kisame kept it wrapped in bandages, Shirou couldn't even describe it. The odd thing was...Shirou liked it. The not-sword just seemed...nice? It was like a puppy you just HAD to pet. Kisame himself looked different. Normally such a thing would indicate a bloodline, but Zabuza had said the blue-skinned man didn't have any. It made sense, what with the prejudice that had been shown Haku. So, why did he look like a cross between a man and a shark? Shirou wanted to ask Zabuza. The jonin might know. He might even tell him.

"What're you looking at little boy?"

"I can't believe we got stuck on baby-sitting duty."

Shirou ignored the obvious taunts from Gozu and Meizu. He could tell what kind of people they were from their weapons. Their claws were dangerous looking and poisoned. Designed with intimidation in mind. They also had a length of chain that could be used a whip, or combined with it's partner. Each claw also possessed a pair of kunai launchers. Of course, the sub-weapons were also poisoned. Reading the history of their claws just confirmed Shirou's opinion of them. The Demon Brothers were cruel. They cut down surrendered opponents. They eagerly killed non-combatants. They took glee in prolonging their target's pain. The poison they used was lethal, slow-acting, and caused extensive nerve damage. Quite a painful way to die.

"Kushimaru-san and Jinpachi-san have started patrolling." Shirou informed his allies.

"Done already?" Gozu scratched his chin with his unarmored hand. "That's pretty quick. Meizu and I could've done it quicker! Right bro?"

"Heh, that's right. But where's the fun in that?" Meizu squinted his eyes as he stared out into the night. "You some kind of sensor? I can't see a thing."

Shirou continued to scan the surrounding terrain. There was a lot of open space around the building, but he could only see in one direction. "I have good eyesight." Making his teammates knowledgeable about his abilities was the prudent move. "I can't detect anything through the walls."

"'Zat so? Not so useful after all."

Shirou ignored the insult, and kept his gaze focused on their immediate vicinity. The 'Heartless Pair' were patrolling. They would cover the blind spots. Shirou caught sight of them every few minutes. The movement pattern was somewhat random. The fact that they were on the move meant that their first job was complete. Was Mangetsu and Kisame's job successful as well? What about Haku and Zabuza? Shirou's hand tightened on his bow. He hated this. The waiting, knowing that the people precious to you were in danger. A part of him, a large part, wanted to rush inside to help. He had trained to be a tool for so long, and now he was tempted to disobey orders? Shirou didn't know what to do.

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Zabuza paused by the entrance to the actual sealing chamber. His ears strained. What was going on? He could hear his own breath and heartbeat. Haku's too. The girl was staying back. She'd only join the fight if the Hidden in the Mist jutsu wasn't enough. She wasn't capable of moving only by sound yet. The problem was, he couldn't hear the Mizukage. Their info was strong. There were Anbu guards. The Mizukage had to be here. Did jinchuriki not breath? Did their hearts not beat? Or had he underestimated Yagura? Was his ability to make no sound superior?

Slow, purposeful footsteps were approaching. Loud, so the person was heavy. The timing implied a long gait. Not particularly good at moving silently. That meant that it was Kisame. Sure enough, the blue ninja came around the corner. "Zabuza? Haven't you finished yet?" He was carrying Samehada in his right hand. The sword was unwrapped, and it's size was nearly twice it's base. "Mangetsu wanted to do one more patrol. I hurried down here to see if you needed help."

"You killed him, didn't you?" Kisame stopped at Zabuza's accusation.

"Who? The Anbu? Surely you don't mean Yagura?" A shark-like smile adorned the blue ninja's face.

"Mangetsu. You've betrayed us. You warned the Mizukage somehow and he evacuated. Your loud voice was to make sure he got away in time." Zabuza raised Kubikiribocho. "Bringing up Mangetsu before I mentioned him betrays your thought process. Finally, Samehada looks awfully full. You must have drained a large amount of chakra." Zabuza's eyes narrowed. "Too much for the Anbu the two of you would've fought. Not with Mangetsu finishing them off before Samehada gorged himself. Just the right amount for draining your fellow swordsman and his sword."

"Man, Zabuza, you're so suspicious... but yeah, you're right."

"So where's your backup?"

"Oh, we killed the Anbu first. Loyal Hidden Mist ninja, blaming their deaths on you is a bonus."

"How'd you warn the Mizukage? Mangetsu wouldn't have let you."

"I didn't." Kisame laughed. "You're just lucky he's offsite for his experiments today."

"What experiments? What does Yagura have planned?"

"Who said they were Yagura's experiments?" Kisame looked down at his sword. "Samehada is still hungry, and he has plenty of room for you. Let's not keep him waiting, ne?"

"Samehada may trump Hiramekarei, but it's weak to Kubikiribocho!" Zabuza dashed forward, swinging his sword in a great arc.

Kisame brought Samehada up and parried the attack. "Weak? You must be insane."

"Against a regular opponent, Samehada wins because neither their bodies nor their techniques can be used to block it. Kubikiribocho can match it's size and power, and only one of our two blades regenerates."

Kisame shoved Samehada against Kubikiribocho. He was the stronger of the two ninja, and Zabuza was sent stumbling back into the sealing room. There was no reprieve as Kisame chased after him, eager to resume the fight.

"Giving me space." Two more Zabuzas stepped out of the shadows. "Was a mistake Kisame."

The three Zabuzas charged. Kisame moved towards the closest opponent. Samehada cut across his body. Kubikiribocho turned to water as the chakra supporting it dissipated. "That's one down." With its form disrupted and its chakra drained, the clone dissolved. The blue ninja spun around. His sword cleaved through another Kubikiribocho before the blow was finally blocked by the third Zabuza. "Ah, there you are. It was a waste of chakra to make water clones."

"Nhg" Zabuza grunted, putting his weight behind Kubikiribocho. "You might be right."

The second Zabuza pulled out a kunai and stabbed Kisame in the side. "But who said the real me had to use the real Kubikiribocho?" Both Zabuzas jumped back, and the clone handed his sword back to his creator.

"Ah." Kisame clutched his hand to his side. "That was a nice move. Pity your follow up was so uninspired."

"That was just to slow you down. Your death will come at the end of Kubikiribocho." The two Zabuzas stepped apart. The one without a sword formed a half-ram seal with each hand. One was in front of his chest, and the other was held straight up in the air. "Water Release: Hiding in the Mist Technique!" Zabuza's voice echoed in the room. "You may be stronger, tougher, and have more chakra, but my sword trumps yours, as does my Silent Killing!"

Kisame strained to hear anything. His visibility was gone. "You know you're problem Zabuza? You always use your ace, in every fight. That's what you get when you put so much time and effort into perfecting one jutsu. You become predictable. Do you want to know what trumps your little hide-and-seek?" Kisame made a series of hand signs. "Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!" A torrent of water gushed from his mouth. The wave he created quickly filled up the room and started flooding the rest of the floors. "I guess I'm a hypocrite though. I always use the same jutsu also. It's just so useful!"

The impact of the wave knocked Zabuza back. It also dispelled his clone. That would've meant the end of the Hiding in the Mist Jutsu, but Kisame's flood had already taken care of that. Zabuza was a Mist ninja, he was just as deadly in the water as on the land. The problem was Kisame was twice as dangerous in the water. The man even had gills! Fighting like this was suicide. The mission was already a failure. He should've retreated when he realized Kisame had betrayed them. His opponent looked more and more like a shark. The way swam through the water, the grin with too many teeth. This was it.

"Ice Release: Flash Freeze!" Haku's voice sounded through the water. In an instant the water around Kisame turned to ice. Haku swam into view. Zabuza holstered his sword and motioned to her. The pair began to make their escape. They had gone up a level when a cracking sound reverberated though the water. Zabuza and Haku looked at one another. That could only mean Kisame had escaped. "Ice Release: Flash Freeze!" Haku used her jutsu again. This time the entire bottom floor was frozen solid. Zabuza's smile turned into a horrified gasp. Haku was now floating lifelessly. She didn't have his lung capacity. Vocalizing that jutsu had used up all of her air! Zabuza grabbed her with one hand, and began a frantic swim to the surface. Along the way, the saw Mangetsu's corpse floating in the water above Hiramekarei. The thought of letting Haku go to retrieve the legendary sword never crossed his mind.

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Shirou heard the sound of water. He'd reinforced his ears along with his eyes. He'd also increased his nose's sensitivity, but it had never been of any use yet. Even with the infusion of chakra, his hearing was inferior to Zabuza's. That was setting the bar rather high. Increased senses were a good thing, even if they didn't outshine everyone else's. Case in point. The sound of several hundred tons of water was an important thing to get a head start on.

"Gozu! Meizu! Something's coming from inside!" Shirou didn't feel right in telling them to run away. It was presumptuous. They might have a better idea. Shirou ran.

"Where are you going?" Meizu cried after him. "What's coming?"

"A lot of water!" Shirou noticed Kushimaru racing around the outskirts on patrol. The redhead nocked an arrow and let it fly, being sure to time it so it missed the jonin by six feet. He didn't want to antagonize an ally, just to get his attention.

"What was that for?" Jinpachi appeared in front of him. The sword-that-is-really-a-scroll leveled at his head.

"The building's about to explode. I wanted to let the two of you know." Shirou then dashed past. The sound of water was getting closer. Once he was a hundred yards away, he stopped. This seemed like a nice range. Safe from the water. An arrow would take a shade over three seconds to make the flight, longer with a higher curve. That was in the 'barely acceptable' reaction zone.

"What's going on?" Kushimaru asked. The mask on his face hid his expression.

"The boy's going crazy." Gozu stated.

"Yeah, he's flipped out." Meizu added. The Demon Brothers looked at each other, and came to some conclusion. Before they could act on whatever they had decided a boom emanated from the sealing chamber. A wave of pressurized air washed over them. A jet of water came out of the entrance. The building was built for containment. The insides twisted and turned, but there was only one exit. The deadly cascade was propelled halfway towards them before gravity took over. The five ninja looked on for a full minute as the water jet died down.

"Good job Shirou." Jinpachi slapped him on the back. "Wouldn't want to have caught up in that!"

Shirou's eyes widened. "Zabuza! Haku!" He saw the pair emerging from around a corner in the building. Zabuza was carrying Haku's body. The female ninja wasn't moving. Shirou dashed forward, and slipped in the mud. With no ability to adhere to the surface with chakra, his speed was diminished. He discarded his bow as he clawed his way to his feet. Zabuza suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Shirou, take care of Haku." The Demon of the Mist gently laid the girl down at his feet. The then stood and addressed the other ninja. "Kisame has betrayed us. Mangetsu is dead, and the Mizukage isn't in the building. The mission is a failure."

"Trace On." Shirou scanned Haku's body. She wasn't breathing, but her heart was beating. There was water in her lungs, but not much. Most of it had gone into her stomach. Her larynx was constricted. Shirou tried to remember what all that meant. Zabuza had trained them about the physiological responses to drowning and how to treat them. After all, they did live on islands. CPR. Shirou tilted her head back. That was the first step. Right? There was nothing blocking her airways. He was supposed to pinch her nose, and exhale into her mouth. Right? Probably. He wasn't sure. Was there another step? He couldn't think straight. He leaned forward. His lips were centimeters away from Haku's... when he got a face full of water as she coughed. A genuine smile came to his face. A small part in the back of his mind found that odd. He wasn't happy because he'd followed Zabuza's order. He hadn't actually helped Haku. So what was it? The rest of his mind was trying to come to terms with what was happening around him.

"...be missing nins!"

"Enough!" Zabuza quelled the other voices. "We have plans for this. We all have ways off the island that the others don't know about! Kisame will know we're fleeing, but that's hardly a surprise is it? Now we escape. Let's regroup at...a small island. South of Bravo, and to the East of Delta point. It has a single-room shack on its eastern cliff. If you aren't there in a week, we're leaving without you! Go!"

There was a general murmuring of consent. The Demon Brothers shunshined way followed quickly by the Heartless Pair. Haku was continuing to cough. "*kaff*Zabu*kaff*za-sama*kaff*" Shirou helped her lean forward.

"Haku, Shirou. We have to leave. Now. Our head start on Kisame won't mean anything if we sit around here waiting for him."

Haku nodded. "I *koff* am ready." She picked herself up. Shirou stood up at the same time, and put his hands around her as she wobbled.

"Let's go. Shirou, don't leave your bow behind."

Shirou glanced down. Where was his bow? He saw it over near where the skid marks in the ground started. About half his arrows had also been spilt, but there wasn't any time to worry about those. The trio took off. Haku was pale. It was painful to watch her push herself. Shirou wished he could do something to help, but even in this state she was faster than he was. He was the one holding the two of them back. He was the one leaving obvious tracks in the mud because he couldn't walk over it with chakra. He was why they had to make their way to a small docked boat, rather than having one waiting off the coast. Shirou felt miserable. His presence was slowing everyone down.

"Zabuza-sensei." Their instructor turned to look at Shirou. Neither of them slackened their pace. "I can stay behind and delay them."

Haku let of a small gasp. Zabuza just shook his head. "You wouldn't be able to stop them for even a second. Kisame or the hunter ninja would go right past you and leave the second wave to capture you. Unless you can force an opponent to stop, delaying tactics don't work."

"It would let you and Haku move quicker." The teenager countered.

"Shirou, stop it." Haku's voice sounded raw. "Zabuza-sama gave us an order. Don't second guess him."

Haku was, of course, right. Shirou should be a good tool and do exactly what was asked of him. If Zabuza wanted him to sacrifice himself, he would've ordered it. He just felt so useless at the moment. No worse than that, his contribution to Zabuza was negative. It made no sense. He wanted to ask them questions until he resolved this internal conflict. However, now wasn't the time. "Trace On. Steel is my Body." He poured every drop of chakra into his legs. They had to get to the boat.

At the speed they were going, the trip took less than ten minutes. Shirou nearly collapsed when they reached their hidden dock. The ship wasn't big, but it had a sail and could traverse the ocean. His chakra was now completely gone. It took all his power to help them push off. Once they were in the ocean, Zabuza used a jutsu to propel them quickly without needing to row or rely on the wind. Their teacher then removed the mask he was wearing and threw it down in disgust. It landed at Haku's feet. Satisfied that everything was as good as he could make it, Shirou allowed himself to lapse into unconsciousness.

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Zabuza cursed himself for the tenth time that morning. How could he have not seen Kisame's treachery coming? Should he have just used Haku and Shirou? His tools' loyalty was unquestionable. No, even then the mission would've failed due to luck. Or rather, lack of information. The Mizukage sometimes leaves the village? Why? And how? The sealing chamber by design had only one well-guarded way in or out. It was for that very reason the Anbu were content to place guards around the building rather than with the Mizukage directly. Even if they had encountered Yagura, Zabuza only gave himself a 30% chance of winning a fight. Hiding in the Mist and Haku could both counter the Kage's trump card. It had taken many years as an Anbu for Zabuza to find out what Yagura could actually do. Even without specialty jutus, Jinchuriki were incredibly powerful. The amount of chakra they had was disgusting. It made Samehada virtually a pre-requisite for taking one out in a drawn out fight. Without Kisame on his side, the coup was little more than a suicide mission. Perhaps that was why he trusted the shark-like ninja. It was a mental blindspot.

"Argh" He let out a groan. His gambit to save the village had failed. That was the truth, and he had to accept it. They had more information now. A second attempt would be much harder to pull off, but it WOULD succeed.

"What is it Zabuza-sama?" Haku was steering the ship.

"Just thinking Haku."

"About how lucky we are that the Hunter Ninja didn't come after us?" She had such an annoying upbeat tone.

"No. That was luck, but not how you're thinking. The Anbu would pursue the three separate trails. They would be assigned in decreasing ability."

"So?"

Zabuza shook his head. "We had Shirou, who can't walk on water. The tracks he left, along side that clumsy mess he made in the mud 'fooled' them."

"Fooled them?"

"Yeah, producing those kinds of tracks on purpose is almost impossible to do convincingly." Zabuza explained.

"So, because Shirou isn't agile enough, his tracks were believable."

"And we were likely placed as the 'easiest' group to track."

Haku giggled. "That's good news for us."

Zabuza nodded. "But bad news for the Heartless Pair." Haku kept silent at that revelation. Zabuza looked out over the horizon. "Shirou, can you see the island yet?"

The boy had kept quite during the conversation so far. The criticism for his ability had been completely ignored. Was he that confident? Or just thick-skinned? "Trace On." Shirou gazed out over the horizon. "Yes, the island is close. We're coming in at the right angle. I can see a ship by the rocks, and smoke by the shack."

"Oh? That means someone beat us here. Be careful, it might be Anbu." The next few minutes were filled with silent anticipation. Their base of many years past came into view. Shirou was correct. There was a boat and smoke. Whoever was there had started a fire. The idiots.

"There's... there's a body." Shirou said quietly. His hands were trembling. "It's Yumi-san. They killed her."

"What?" Zabuza's mind raced. The old woman who'd helped his apprentices years ago. Why would anyone kill her? It was sloppy. Sloppier than the fire. Far too stupid for Anbu or the Heartless Pair. That left one option. The Demon Brothers. The cliffs were within range now. "Haku, Shirou. Stay on the boat. I'm going to go investigate."

He sprinted across the water and up the side of the rock wall, drawing Kubikiribocho as he ran. The old woman's body lay outside the doorway. He could smell her blood. Her eyes stared blankly ahead. A look of surprise was frozen on her face. Without making a sound, Zabuza entered the wooden shack. Sleeping on the futon were Gozu and Meizu. Between them lay a half empty bag of mochi. Zabuza considered killing them. He raised Kubikiribocho above his head. A downward swing brought the sword through bag, mochi, futon and floor.

"What?" Gozu woke up.

"We're under attack!" Meizu tried to roll away, but the room was too small.

Gozu threw a kunai at Zabuza. The jonin contemptuously caught the projectile before sending it back towards its owner. The ninja weapon buried itself in the futon between Gozu's legs. "You morons. You killed a civilian! Hunter ninja tend to notice details like that!"

"Zabuza?" Gozu looked at him with bleary eyes. "You're late."

"I'm early. Unfortunately it looks like I didn't beat you idiots here." Zabuza leaked killing intent. The Demon Brothers froze. "Let me guess. You arrived last night, and started a fire. An old woman came by, a civilian. Instead of hiding, you killed her."

"But..." Meizu managed to choke out a word.

Zabuza doubled the pressure he was exerting. His chakra thickened in the air around him. "Don't talk. Listen. You've ruined this as a hiding place." They'd done more than that. If Shirou or Haku found out they'd killed their surrogate grandmother... Zabuza's team would grow even smaller. "I'm leaving. You're going to seal the woman's body, along with any dirt that her blood soaked into. On your way to the Land of Waves, drop it in the deepest part of the ocean you can find. If you can make it, that's where we'll meet up." Zabuza turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him. Kushimaru and Jinpachi could still show up. He had to leave directions. Zabuza drew a kunai and carved a whirlpool in the wooden door. The Land of Waves used to be the Land of Whirlpools. This was the most obvious clue that he could leave the Heartless Pair. It was a small country, and meeting up with them and the Demon Brothers shouldn't be too hard.

Zabuza walked down the cliff, and took out the remaining supplies he'd stashed there. Every kunai was valuable now. He then made his way to the boat. Haku and Shirou were looking at him expectantly. "We need to go to another island to supply. I've left a message. Hopefully the other ninja in our group will meet up with us in the Land of Waves."

"Zabuza-sama." Haku spoke up. "Was it really Yumi's body?"

Zabuza nodded. "Yes. It was." Shirou had clasped his swords, but hadn't drawn them. The redhead couldn't walk on water. Zabuza was pretty sure he was considering swimming and climbing up the cliff face by hand. "Shirou, Haku. Bury your emotions. They are nothing but a liability to shinobi."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama." "Yes, Zabuza-sensei."

Zabuza turned away. He hoped his tools could become emotionless. Being a ninja was so much harder when you couldn't. He prayed to whatever gods would listen to a demon like him. 'Let them succeed where I failed.'


	4. The Land of Waves 1

Shirou's eyes focused on movement. It was from the direction of the village, and moving towards the bridge. The bright yellow mop of hair made identifying the new arrival simple. Naruto Uzumaki. He was enthusiastic and kind. Shirou really liked him. Not only that, the two of them were family. Fate seemed cruel. To put Naruto in the way of Zabuza. Shirou raised his bow and notched an arrow. The wind was from the east, and Shirou was three kilometers from his target. His maximum range with his reinforced bow was only one kilometer. For the arrow would fly far enough... he'd need an angle like... this. His bow was pointed upwards and to the side. It would require a high arc to hit his target from this distance. For a long minute he kept his aim trained on the orange suit. Naruto was running full-out. He was trying to get to the bridge in time. To help HIS precious people. The straight forward movement made the arrow's path predictable. If the yellow haired boy kept the same pace, the arrow would intercept him...there. Naruto was about to enter his range. Shirou released his shot. The wooden shaft would land just as the young ninja came into range. Naruto wasn't skilled enough to notice the projectile. He would have no defense. Shirou blinked away tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry." He whispered into the wind.

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1 year ago...

Zabuza took one final look around the ruins. The Village Hidden in the Eddies, he had to look at it with his own eyes. Its destruction during the beginning of the Third Shinobi War was a major accomplishment. At least that's what the Hidden Stone, Cloud, and Mist said. The Uzumaki clan had been too old. Too powerful. Too well-versed in funijutsu. Other countries feared that they would use their sealing abilities to turn the tailed beasts into weapons. That had led to their downfall. Zabuza hadn't yet been a ninja when the Land of Whirlpools was attacked. He didn't know all the details, so he had to come and see for himself. At least before he told Shirou.

The trip back to their base was over quickly. The Land of Waves, as it was now called, was not a large country. It suited him as a hideout. No ninja village to avoid. Close enough to the Land of Water so he could return once he had gathered more allies. The merchant, Gatou, had put out calls for mercenaries. Zabuza thought about whether to approach the man as he ran. If Gatou wanted a large enough gang, he would probably also need some ninja. His business dealings weren't on the up-and-up, so he wouldn't go to a major village. Most importantly, the merchant had money. Soon he would make enough enemies that hiring ninjas would only make sense.

There was still no sign of Kushimaru and Jinpachi. Zabuza, Haku, Shirou and the Demon Brothers were living in an old Hidden Eddies outpost. It was naturally built in the trees. The Village Hidden in the Leaves influenced the Hidden Eddies quite a bit. Zabuza would've preferred living someplace closer to the water. It was probably best this way though. Closer to the water meant they were more apt to be found by Hidden Mist Hunter Ninjas. Inside their base, Shirou was cooking again. The boy was nice to have around. He jumped at any chance to help out. The Demon Brothers were, on the other hand, useless. Haku lacked the physical strength to do many of the repairs that were still needed. Shirou worked long and hard. His cooking was also becoming quite good. The jonin made the final leap up to one of the large branches right outside their hideout's kitchen.

"What are you cooking today, Shirou?" Zabuza could smell something coming from the fire pit. The stones surrounding it must've been a real pain to haul up into the branches. The effort was worth it if you didn't want to burn down your home.

"Some venison steaks, with mashed potatoes and asparagus on the side." The teenager turned to face him. "Did your scouting go well Zabuza-sensei?"

"No sign of the Heartless Pair. I don't think they made it." Zabuza walked over to the grill that Shirou had set up. "I did find what I was looking for."

"What was that?"

"The ruins of the Village Hidden in the Eddies."

"There's a hidden village here?"

"There once was. It was destroyed in the Third Shinobi War, and its people were killed or fled to other countries."

"Oh." Shirou turned back to the cutting board, and began work on the vegetables.

"The Hidden Eddies was home to a powerful clan of ninja. The Uzumaki. They were known for their red hair, prodigiously strong life force, and their sealing abilities." Zabuza looked at Shirou, but the boy was busy chopping asparagus. "Shirou. Does that description remind you of anyone?"

Shirou stopped cutting and raised the knife to his chin. "No, no one comes to mind."

"You can't think of anyone that has red hair? Or that has an abundance of stamina? Or that can decipher the most complicated seals in a few seconds?"

"Not really, Zabuza-sensei."

"Shirou. I think you're an Uzumaki. Your parents probably fled to the Land of Water."

Shirou turned around. His golden eyes stared at Zabuza. "You mean I might have family somewhere?"

"Distant cousins, yes. Uzumaki is still a common name. Not everyone who has it was part of their main branch. Many were accepted into their clan, and took their name. Now they're spread out all over the world. You could probably find them in every nation. The Land of Water. The Land of Fire. The Land of Grass. The closer countries are to the Land of Waves the more they would have."

"I have family." Shirou smiled. "I have family! I hope I encounter a few some day, Zabuza-sensei."

"You might Shirou." Inside Zabuza sagged with relief. He was glad he had told Shirou. The teenager deserved to know the truth. Zabuza didn't think that Shirou would strike out on his own, but the possibility was still there. The boy's motivations were odd at times. If his tool had wanted to leave... Zabuza didn't know what he would do in that case. Killing Shirou would've been a waste, but so would letting him depart. It was good that he hadn't had to make that decision.

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Gatou sat in his office. The plan was coming along nicely. Now that the rebel-rouser Kaiza had been taken care of, the sheep were falling in line. Nothing like a public execution to show the masses where they stood. He poured himself a drink. Nothing like alcohol to celebrate a victory. There was a knock on his door. "Come in."

Zori opened the door. "Boss, there's a man here to see you."

"About what?"

"He's wearing a head guard and he says he wants to offer you his services?"

"A ninja? The Land of Waves has no ninja!"

"Want me to send him away? Maybe rough him up some?"

"No, no. Send him in." Gatou drained his cup. "You and Waraji come in too."

"Right boss." Zori backed out of the room and closed the door behind him. A few moments later, the door re-opened. A tall man entered the room, flanked by the two samurai thugs. He wore a Hidden Mist head guard at an angle on his left temple. His mouth was wrapped in white bandages, and he wore little else aside from arm and leg warmers. He had an absolutely massive sword on his back.

"My name's Zabuza. I hear you're looking for mercenaries."

"So what if I am? We're not in the Land of Water. What right does the Hidden Mist have here?" Gatou decided he'd put the ninja on the defensive from the start. Easier to negotiate things from a position of power.

"The Hidden Mist has no 'right' to be here. That doesn't mean they won't poke their noses into the affairs on an island that's their neighbor." The large man's mouth looked suspiciously like he was smirking under those bandages. "All that doesn't mean much to me, I'm a freelancer."

"A missing nin?" Gatou stroked his chin. "I thought that when one of you went rogue you scratched your head guards."

Zabuza's left hand touched the piece of metal on his head. "The forehead protector is a symbol of a ninja. Even one that flees their village will still keep it as a sign of their rank and power. Some scratch the surface, to show their distain for their former village."

"Since you haven't, doesn't that mean you're still a Hidden Mist ninja?"

"No. It just means I plan on returning one day, and cutting the head off of the Mizukage."

"Ambitious. I like that." Gatou leaned back and propped his feet on his desk. "So you'll fight your country-men?"

"I'll kill anyone that I'm paid to."

"And what would I cost for you to kill for me?"

"That depends on the target." Zabuza replied. "If you have anyone in particular, tell me now and we can discuss a price."

"Heh. I've already taken out everyone that's opposed me."

"I thought as much. No, what I'm proposing is a retainer. Pay me 20,000 ryo a month, and I'll be at your beck and call for further assignments."

"What? That's preposterous! I could hire more than a dozen ninja for that price." Gatou stood up and slammed his hands on his desk.

"A dozen genin, for a day or two perhaps. I'm an Anbu-Rank shinobi. My skills come at a much higher price, but they're worth it."

"Former Anbu eh?"

"The price also covers my subordinates. I have four: three chunin level, and one jonin ninja with me."

"A squad of five." Gatou sat down. "That's more like it. 20,000 ryo is still much too high."

"That's the price. If you don't want my help, well who can say someone else around here won't take me up on my offer?"

"You're blackmailing me?"

"Not at all. I doubt anyone in the Land of Waves could afford to hire me. Not for how much your head would cost." Zabuza crossed his arms. "You're an ambitious man. You'll make enemies soon enough. One day you'll want my services. I'm just stating that when that time comes, I may have moved on."

"If I'm paying you, I want results. While you work for me, you'll do what I say."

Zabuza left out a laugh. "Do you pay your bodyguards on days they don't kill somebody? No, you pay them to be around if they're needed. I'm the same way. You pay me so I'll be around. If you want something more than that, we'll have to evaluate it on a case-by-case basis."

The added 'and so I won't come after you myself', was left unsaid. Gatou knew when he was being shook down. He'd done it enough himself. The ninja hadn't budged an inch. "I'll think about it. Come back in a five days." Accepting his offer now would look weak. He would take him up on it, but only after giving the appearance of thinking long and hard about it. Gatou was essentially getting his own personal ninja village. That was the only thing better then taking over a country without a Hidden Village. The villages were invested in their own country's well being. Gatou's planned monopoly would reduce trade profits for the Lands of Fire, Tea, Noodles, and Water. That meant the closest Hidden Villages would be disinclined to help him. At least at a reasonable price.

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Zabuza turned around and strolled out of the office. Once he was far enough away from Gatou's camp, Haku landed next to the mercenary ninja. "Why are we working for such a man?"

Zabuza turned to his favorite tool. "Haku, take off that mask." He kept his head guard because he was still a loyal Mist ninja. The face mask was from his time in Anbu as a Hunter Ninja. He'd turned his back on the Anbu and the Mizukage. "It's annoying."

"Yes, yes, Zabuza-sama." The female ninja reached up and took it off. "Gatou is scum."

"Yes, he is."

"We'd be better off killing him."

"Yes, we would - if someone paid us for it."

"Then why don't we go the villagers? Soon they won't be able to afford us. Not with Gatou blocking all the trade routes."

"Haku, what's the first rule of being a missing nin?"

"Don't get caught?"

"No, it's 'Don't attract attention'." Zabuza turned his head to look at her while they walked. "Unless, of course, you're S-Rank. Otherwise, the Hidden Village you came from will hunt you down if they know where you are."

"And if you are S-Rank."

"Then they'll pretend you don't exist. S-Rank Missing nins are, as a rule, not worth the effort."

"So killing Gatou would cause too many waves."

"Not only that? What else would we do?"

"Hunt? Live off the land."

"That may suffice for a short time. It won't let you get new senbons when your's wear out. It won't buy supplies to fix leaks in the roof. It won't keep the Demon Brothers around."

Haku sniffed. "We'd be better off without those two. Shirou and I are the only tools you need, Zabuza-sama."

Zabuza smiled. "You're my best tools, but I can always use more. Besides, you'd still want money in your pocket and a roof over your head right?"

"Yeah."

"So, we have to get money."

"We could just take it from people."

"Missing ninjas that become bandits, never become anything else." Zabuza raised his right index finger. "If you're a bad ninja, or an unlucky bandit. You starve." He raised a second finger. "If you're too good of a bandit, someone will hire ninjas to get rid of you. Being targeted by a Hidden Village, even if it's not your own, is breaking the first rule of being a missing nin." Zabuza raised his third finger. "Finally, if you're a bandit. Not too good, not too bad. Then you're just a bandit. Low-life scum that'll never amount to anything better."

Haku looked down. "I understand Zabuza-sama."

Zabuza smirked. "Don't be depressed Haku. I've spent more than half my life as a Hunter Ninja. I know what pitfalls to avoid. People make common mistakes because they lack experience. Not because they're stupid." They walked on for a few minutes. "Well, not JUST because they're stupid."

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1 week ago...

Shirou paced around the base. Where were Zabuza and Haku? Gatou finally hired them for a mission, and everything goes wrong. It was supposed to have been a simple assassination. Kill the bridge builder Tazuna. The Demon Brothers had gone off to track him. Ironically, the very thing that made Gatou finally decide to shell out money for a real mission, had made that mission complicated. A four year old genin can kill an adult civilian without any difficulty. Zabuza could've killed Tazuna as easily as swatting a fly. If he could find him. The elderly bridge builder had left The Land of Waves, reportedly headed towards The Land of Fire.

If he had gone to The Village Hidden in the Leaves, that would cause all sorts of problems. Gozu and Meizu had left to intercept their new target. That was the last they'd heard from the pair. Neither Zabuza or Gatou had taken the news well. Haku had accompanied their teacher on scouting missions ever since. Shirou was left to watch of the base, because 'he wasn't stealthy enough'. He wanted to be doing SOMETHING. Anything really. He had plenty of food in their larder. Lunch was made. There was nothing that needed repairs. He should be spending his free time practicing, but what if something happened? Shirou wanted to be at one hundred percent in case of an emergency. The way his nerves were, there probably wouldn't be much benefit from training.

A sound came from the lower level. Shirou rushed down to find Haku supporting Zabuza. The older ninja had undone the bandages around his mouth. He hung nearly limp, only being supported by his female apprentice. "Zabuza-sensei!" Shirou rushed over to help. "What happened?"

"Zabuza-sama bit off a bit more than he could chew." Haku said with an impish smile. "I put him into a death-state and posed as a Hunter Ninja."

"If you had really wanted to help, you should've taken out those genin before they got in the way!" Zabuza's voice was ragged.

"And interfere with your fight? I know it was just a water clone, but don't you think losing to two genin was a bit much?" Haku strained to raise Zabuza's body. With the extra height, Shirou got underneath his other arm.

"There were three genin." Zabuza replied petulantly.

"Now, now. No talking. We need to get you to bed, Zabuza-sama!" Haku seemed to be enjoying this far too much. Shirou noted her attitude seemed at lot more cheerful when the Demon Brothers were away.

They placed Zabuza in his bed with only a modest amount of effort. Despite his protests, their teacher was soon dozing. Shirou and Haku went down to the kitchen.

"Why are you so happy?" Shirou placed a plate of food in front of his sister. "Zabuza lost."

Haku gave him a smile. "Yes, but I saved his life!" She had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "It was thanks to all the practice you let me do."

"You mean the nerve centers?"

"Hmm hm." The female ninja was busy chewing. After swallowing, she continued. "The exact technique that he got mad at us for practicing!"

"That's good." Shirou smiled. "So I was of help."

"Yeah, we both were." Haku continued to wolf down her meal.

"So what's Zabuza going to do next?"

"Well, it take a normal person a week to recover. You did it in four days. I'm betting Zabuza will try and break your record."

"Do you think he can?"

"Not a chance." Haku finished off the last morsels on her plate. "If he had let me remove the senbons, it would've been one thing. He just went and pulled them out himself. They did more damage being removed than they did going in."

"Oh."

"Well, no matter. While he's like this, we'll just have to take care of him." Haku said while loading up another plate full of food.

"Are you still hungry? Should I make some more?"

"No, no. Zabuza-sama can't object to being fed by hand if his arms can't move, right?" Haku hummed a little as she walked towards the stairs to the upper level.

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1 day ago...

Shirou finished cooking breakfast. He contentedly scooped the rice out of the pot. Zabuza was feeling much better today. He had regained mobility in his limbs. His movements were almost back to normal. One more day of bed rest should be all it would take for him to be at 100% again. Haku had gone out to gather medical herbs. She had left without having anything to eat. Shirou finished making the rice balls. He placed them on a plate along side a steaming cup of broth and some sushi. The redhead then walked up to Zabuza's room and knocked on the door.

"You can just come in Shirou." A tired reply came from inside.

"My apologies Zabuza-sensei." Shirou stepped into his teacher's bedroom. "I didn't want to wake you if you were still asleep."

"If I was asleep, there's no way I wouldn't wake up to the noise you make." Zabuza still laid in bed. He seemed content to rest and let his body recover.

Shirou shrugged. "It still feels polite."

"What's did you make today?" Zabuza pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Picked plum rice balls, sushi, and miso soup." Shirou placed the plate and cup on the table next to Zabuza's bed.

"Sushi for breakfast?"

"You said you wanted more meat. I was out of venison and pork to put in the rice balls, so I thought some fish would work best."

"And, of course, when you're combining fish and rice you have to make sushi."

"Exactly!" Shirou's eyes shown.

"Are you and Haku ready for tomorrow?" Zabuza chewed a piece of sushi in his mouth, then washed it down with some soup.

"Yes, Zabuza-sensei. Haku is currently looking for some more herbs for you."

"That girl worries too much."

"I was thinking of going and helping her, if you don't need me for anything."

"Shirou, I'm fine. I can rest and recover without the two of you buzzing around me constantly."

"Yes, Zabuza-sensei." Shirou gave a small bow, then turned and left.

In the kitchen, he packed the remaining food into a basket. A thermos was filled with some miso soup. It would make a nice brunch as well. Almost as an afterthought he took his bow and quiver. His swords might attract attention, but it would be foolish to go out unarmed. Also, he might find a stag or a boar on the way back. Shirou then reinforced himself and jumped out of the tree. He landed gently on the ground, and set off to find his wayward sister. Shirou sent chakra into his ears. The forest was thick, and he was more likely to find Haku by sound than by sight.

"Training!" A voice he didn't recognize rang out through the trees. Shirou raised an eyebrow and set off towards it. "You noticed?! Yeah, I'm a ninja!" That... was an odd thing to say. Shirou increased his pace. Haku could handle herself, but he felt protective of her all the same. A couple of seconds later, he came across his sister in a clearing. Standing next to her was a short blonde boy in an orange jumpsuit. He wore a leaf head guard.

"Why are you training?" Haku was talking with the kid.

"Because I want to become stronger!"

"Hmm... But you already look plenty strong."

"NO NO! I WANT TO BECOME EVEN STRONGER!" The leaf ninja exclaimed. Shirou paused. What was going on here?

"Why...is that?" Haku asked.

"So I can become the best ninja in my village! I'm going to make everyone acknowledge my strength! And right now I also need to prove something to someone."

"Is that for someone else? Or for yourself?"

"..." The blonde seemed at a lost for words. "Ha?" Haku giggled. "What's so funny?"

Shirou was about to make his presence known, when Haku asked the boy something very strange. "Do you, have someone important to you?"

"What?" The boy's verbal exclamation matched Shirou's mental one.

"When a person has something important to protect, that's when they can truly become strong."

"Yeah! I understand that very well." The boy agreed.

Shirou was at a loss though. Protecting? Wasn't the thing most important to Haku serving Zabuza? "Haku?" He called to her as he stepped into the clearing.

"Hey! Who are you?!" The boy spun around and pointed a finger at him.

"Excuse me." Shirou gave a slight bow. "My name is Shirou Uzumaki, I was just looking for my sister." He turned to Haku. "Since you missed breakfast, I thought I'd bring it to you." He raised the basket up.

"What?! Your last name is Uzumaki?! She's your sister?! You look nothing alike! Wait." There was an audible growling from the boy's midsection. "Did you say breakfast?"

Shirou took half a step back at the sudden barrage of questions. Deciding to answer the last one, he set the basket on the ground. "Yes. I have some rice balls, sushi, and miso soup." From the basket he took out a blanket and spread it on the ground. Food then followed. "You're welcome to join us. I think I made enough."

Haku moved to leave, but she stopped once the basket was unpacked. "Shirou..."

"You sure?" The blonde boy was eyeing the food. A small amount of drool glistened on his lips.

"Of course! Help yourself!" Shirou took pride in his cooking.

Haku stepped towards him. "Shirou. We should be getting back. Our UNCLE, Mashiba-san, will miss us."

"Huh? Our uncle?" Shirou was confused. Haku subtly elbowed him in his stomach.

"Our NINJA friend here will probably want to get back to his training."

"Ninja?" Shirou looked at Haku. She was mouthing something. Oh! "Don't worry. Our UNCLE," Shirou winked. "is still resting. He ate breakfast, and I'm sure the medical herbs can wait." It was best not to mention Zabuza's name. It might get back to those ninja protecting the bridge-builder.

"C'mon Haku!" The grinning boy shouted. "Sit and eat!" He had devoured two rice balls already, and was taking a deep drink of the soup. "Hey! This is really good! If you put some pork and noodles in it, it would be almost as great as Ichiraku's!"

"Why thank you." Shirou sat down next to the energetic blonde. Reluctantly, Haku joined them.

"So you two's last name is Uzumaki?"

Shirou replied. "Mine is. Haku's is 'Yuki'." To his side, Haku's forehead fell into her palm.

"Huh? Aren't you brother and sister? Now, that you mention it, you don't look related." The boy's eyes had narrowed.

"Shirou is adopted." Haku spoke up. "We took him in when he was a little kid."

"No kidding? You didn't have any parents either." The blonde jumped to his feet, and pointed at himself with his thumb. "Nice to meet you Shirou! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I'm Going to be Hokage one day!"

"Hokage?"

"The Hokage is the most powerful and respected ninja in the village, 'ttebayo!"

"Oh! I get it. You're a ninja!"

"Heh heh, that's right!"

"Cool!" There were so few ninja that Shirou got to talk to. Haku and Zabuza were great, and the Demon Brothers had interesting things to say...at times. Finding another ninja was pretty rare. At least in his experience.

To the side, Haku hung her head, resigned to her fate. Suddenly she jerked up. "Hey, Naruto. You and Shirou have the same last name. Did you come to the Land of Waves looking for other Uzumaki?"

"What? No. I came to gua..." A hand clamped over the blonde's mouth.

"Shut up dead last." A black haired boy, clad mainly in blue, had appeared behind the chatty ninja. "Don't go around blabbing stuff."

"Oy! Sasuke-teme! Get off me!"

"Make me."

"Fine! I will!" Naruto began to struggle.

"Hey! Watch the food!" Shirou tried to calm the two Leaf ninja.

Naruto looked abashed. "Yeah. You shouldn't waste food." He crossed his arms and nodded sagely to himself. The blonde then turned to Haku. "What did you mean about looking for other Uzumaki."

The sole female looked pleased to answer the question. "Our uncle brought us here because he thought Shirou might find some distant relatives. He said that the Uzumaki used to be a ninja clan here. Back before when this country was still called the Land of Whirlpools."

A huge smile came to Naruto's face. "So do you think we might be family?"

Off to the side, the newest addition mumbled "Hn. That's usually what sharing a last name means."

Shirou ignored him. "I guess we might be. I like you're smile." Off to the other side, Haku shook her head.

"Thanks!"

"Uzumaki is a common name." Haku took a rice ball, and began eating it with her eyes closed. "I don't think every one of them is related by blood."

"You're right Haku." Shirou agreed. "Still, it's a nice thought."

"Yeah!" Naruto sat back down and began to dig into the food again. He turned to the black-haired boy. "Just you watch Sasuke. With this energy boost I'll beat you up the tree!"

"Naruto. You realize I already ate right?"

"What? I have no time to lose!" The blonde grabbed and handful of sushi, and shoved it in his mouth. He chewed quickly. Once he finished, he swallowed, and clasped his hands in front of him. "Thank you for the food." He then got up to leave, pausing only to pick up one final rice ball. Sasuke walked away behind him, glancing backwards with a scowl.

Shirou and Haku calmly ate the rest of the food, and then packed up the blanket and containers. "Hey, Haku-nee-chan."

"Yes?"

"What did you mean about becoming strong by protecting people?"

Haku turned to look at him. "What's to explain? We've both gotten stronger because we have each other and sensei."

"I thought we got strong so we could be valuable tools."

"Shirou." Haku stopped, and placed a hand on his cheek. "Those are the same thing."

The redhead was left speechless, and stood alone in the forest as his sister walked back to their home.

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Now.

'I'm sorry.' The words just came out of his mouth. Shirou didn't know why. A tool shouldn't be sorry for serving its purpose. Right? He watched his arrow arc up in the air. Something was wrong. "I missed." The arrow was less than halfway there, but he knew his aim was off. The projectile would miss Naruto by a foot. Even with thousands of feet to go, the trajectory of his shot was too short. The Leaf ninja would now be on guard. He might dodge to the oak tree on his right, or the bushes on his left. If he was brave, or foolhardy, he might dash forward. Shirou's next three shots accounted for all those possibilities.

Dashing forward was the most likely. Naruto was a hothead. Shirou sent an arrow to intercept a straight run. The bushes were his next target. The thickest part was three feet in - that was where his next arrow went. The tree was the trickiest. At this range, even his arrows couldn't punch through the wooden obstacle. So he'd go around. Two arrows flew out in less than a tenth of a second. Shirou watched to see how Naruto would react. With any luck he'd just be wounded. Then his fellow Uzumaki wouldn't be able to get in Zabuza's way. That would be enough. Shirou hoped Naruto would live through this.

In the distance, the blonde yelped as an arrow landed at his feet. He looked around, gauging the terrain and planning his next action. Then... he picked up the arrow, and began shaking his fist while shouting something. That... that was unexpected. In quick succession, arrows landed in front of the orange-clad ninja and in the bushes to his left. Shirou's third arrow struck the ground twenty feet in front of the tree. The nearly invisible ninja wire that linked it and the final arrow grew taunt. The fourth arrow jerked to the left. The wire hit one of the tree's branches, and the arrow wrapped around it - embedding itself in the back of the oak. His second volley had all flown true, but Shirou had missed. If an archer couldn't predict his opponent's moves, he'd never hit his mark.

Shirou paused. He had to wait to see what Naruto would do next. The blonde jumped back when the second arrow landed in front of him. He then looked to his left and right as the remaining arrows fell. The Leaf ninja's expression changed. His blue eyes squinted, and he had a grimace on his face. He then made a cross-shaped hand sign. There was an explosion. When the dust cleared, Six Narutos stood in a group. As one, they let out a yell and surged forward. So, straight ahead it was. Each of the Narutos was throwing up dust as they ran. Were all of them solid clones? That was pretty amazing. Still, Shirou's arrows could disrupt even earth clones. Unless Nartuo's technique produced more durable copies than that, it wouldn't be enough. An arrow arced through the air. It struck a clone that immediately vanished. Not durable at all. The squad of blonde ninjas began to weave. They dodged two more shots before their number fell down to four. They were learning from eachother's mistakes. Shirou needed to take them out quickly, or hit the real Naruto.

The redhead pulled out three arrows, notching them simultaneously in his bow. His targets were now in range of more direct shots that didn't arc, but he sent this volley high into the air. Shirou took out another three arrows. He aimed at the Narutos while holding his bow horizontally. Time seemed to stretch until...Now! He let fly another volley. Each arrow was slightly off-center. It made dodging them easier, but also more predictable. The blonde ninjas avoided his second shots, just in time to move into the path of his first ones. With that, there was one Naruto left. Shirou was unlucky. The original one hadn't been hit yet. That was about to change. The orange-clad ninja made another cross with his fingers. From this distance, Shirou could hear him say, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!". He could make more clones? Or was he just desperate? The smoke cleared, and twenty seven Narutos were now charging him. Shirou could see the dust raised by their feet. All of them were solid again. That was a pretty impressive technique. There were now more Narutos then he had arrows left.

Shirou put away the arrow he had drawn. No point in wasting it. Instead he took out another pair that were linked with ninja wire. He notched them at a wide angle and waited. This might take the clones out, they seemed rather flimsy. Even if it didn't, they should still be entangled. A few powerful shots would clear out the crowd at that point. The Steel Ninja let the gang of blondes get within one hundred yards. Once they were in the barely-acceptable range, he let his arrows fly. The pair of projectiles went wide to the sides. The ninja wire cut though the shadow clones as if they weren't there. The residual smoke cleared, revealing nothing.

Shirou was puzzled. Where was the real Naruto? He strained his senses, as he slowly drew another arrow. His reinforced hearing picked up a creak behind him. Shirou jumped off the crates he was standing on and spun in mid-air. Naruto leaped up behind him, his arm across his chest holding a kunai. Shirou's arrow flew faster than the other projectile. It took Naruto in the chest, and the blonde exploded in another cloud. The redhead began to twist in order to avoid the kunai. Wait. That wasn't a kunai. Shirou didn't know what it was, but he wasn't getting any information about it. Whatever it was, it wasn't a weapon, or his sensory jutsu would've identified it. Still in mid-air, he shot another arrow. It hit the kunai dead center. Another explosion occurred, this time there was a body that emerged. Naruto fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of his shoulder.

"It's over." Shirou picked himself up. He had prioritized taking the shot over landing. "The arrow's in deep. It looks like it got your subclavian artery. You won't be able to use that arm, and you'll bleed out in minutes."

"Argh! So what?! I can still fight!" Naruto retorted. His left hand grasped his right shoulder where the arrow was.

"If you do so, you'll die." Shirou calmly notched another arrow. "Don't throw your life away. Too many of your allies have already died."

"What? Who's died? What are you talking about?!"

"The girl will probably live. Zabuza has no need to kill her. Your sensei will be finished off soon." Shirou tried to keep his voice steady. He could see the crushing despair in the blue eyes of his target. "Sasuke is already dead." Haku had used her ultimate technique before Naruto had shown up. There was no chance that the black-haired boy still lived.

"You're lying!"

"I am not. If Haku needed my help, I would be there." Shirou explained. "I was on guard and saw you because she had already won before you arrived."

"What? No..."

"You were too late." Shirou calmly stated the truth. It was better that way. He didn't know what effect his words were having on the person in front of him.

"I'll never forgive you." Naruto ripped the arrow out of his arm. "I'LL KILL YOU!" His eyes had changed color. Instead of their normal sky blue, they now were a deep red.

Shirou took a step back. What was this? The arrow wound was closing before his eyes. The lines on Naruto's cheeks had thickened and darkened. His fingers were like claws. Most worrisome, there was a red aura surrounding him. Shirou released his arrow. It hit the energy that encompassed the enraged blonde and shattered. Not good. "Steel is my body." He poured chakra into his next shot, and released it just before barely dodging out of the way. The empowered arrow had no effect, shattering against that red aura just like the first one had. "Trace On. Steel is my body." He needed more power. More chakra. An arrow that could pierce any defense. The bow and arrow in his hands began to vibrate. More. He needed more than he'd ever put into them before. Naruto had turned around and was charging again. The redhead poured more and more chakra into his weapons. More than he'd ever used before. In response, Shirou's bow and arrow exploded in his hands. The force blew him across the ground, leaving his jacket dented. Shirou had woven chakra paper into his clothing. It turned nearly indestructible with his steel chakra inside. He had instinctively reinforced his clothing even as his weapons self-destructed. Stronger than full plate, and it was now dented. The explosion left him dazed, but at least it had blown him out of the way of Naruto's charge.

The beastly ninja wasn't deterred. He spun around quicker than Shirou could believe. There was no time to draw his swords. No time to dodge. Naruto's fist slammed into his chest, and his jacket shattered. Shirou felt something crack inside his his body. Naruto grabbed his forearm and raised him up. The steel cloth crumpled in his claw-like hands. Shirou could see his blood soaking through the fabric. Naruto pulled back his hand, and delivered a hay-maker to Shirou's jaw. The force of the blow tore off his ninja mask. The Mist head guard bounced across the ground, and shreds of the hood fluttered down around them.

Naruto's pulled back for another strike. Just as he was about to end the fight and Shirou's life, he stopped. "You... you're Shirou. From yesterday, right?"

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Haku barely avoided another fireball. This kid was good. As expected of a Uchiha. This was not the easy victory she was expecting. Each Demonic Ice Mirror cost a lot of chakra to maintain. To surround someone like this was taxing. Sasuke was tenacious. Now that he'd activated his Sharingan, things were going poorly. He was weakened by the countless cuts and superficial wounds her senbon had inflicted. However, Haku was starting to slow down as her chakra ran out. It was a war of attrition that she wasn't certain she'd win. Time to alter her strategy.

"Your eyes won't help you. I've had experience with how to deal with someone capable of seeing my movements." Haku focused on manipulating her mirrors. She couldn't maintain them and use other jutsu, but she could alter them while in use. "Secret Technique. Ice Prison." The ice around the edges of the mirrors started to expand until it merged together in a dome. Haku appeared outside. "It's a shame you forced me to use this jutsu. Freezing to death is not a pleasant experience." It was also a lot harder to keep someone alive when using her ice like this. Adrenaline could keep someone conscious past the point of no return. If Sasuke didn't give up soon, she didn't know what she'd do.

Hoarfrost creeped along the wooden planks. The inside of the sphere was getting colder and colder. There was a burst of fire inside. A desperate attempt at warmth. Soon she'd have to re-enter the mirrors to see how the Leaf ninja was doing. Alone in the cold without an opponent in sight was the best scenario to get him to surrender. Soon, she would need to check his condition if she was going to stop the jutsu in time.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique." Sasuke's voice cried out behind her. Haku whirled around just in time to see a swarm of fireballs heading towards her. She jumped back, dodging left and right.

"Ice Release: Snow Blossom Jutsu." Flowers of ice appeared in mid air. Haku moved them to intercept the balls of fire heading her way. Something slammed into her chest and legs. The Ice ninja found herself pulled backwards and pinned against her dome. Ninja wire wrapped around her. The fire was a diversion. Sasuke must have have thrown shuriken with wire attached to her sides.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique." The dark haired ninja drew a deep breath, and then spewed flames out of his mouth. Haku couldn't move. The fire was too large to avoid anyways. What she could do was re-enter the mirror behind her. The fire splashed against the dome. When it died out, Haku's image looked across at Sakuse.

"You escaped." She stated the obvious. "Taking my eyes off of you was a mistake." Now that she could see the inside of the dome, everything was made obvious. "You burned through the bridge, then climbed along it's bottom to come at me from behind."

"I walked actually." Even with all his cuts and senbon sticking out of him, the Uchiha managed to smirk.

"Very well, now I'll have to..." Haku's voice trailed out. From the start of the bridge came a flood of vile chakra. "Shirou!" She jumped out of the mirror. Her brother needed her. Sasuke wouldn't have gotten the drop on her, not if her fellow tool had been keeping watch. That meant Shirou had intercepted someone, or something. Whatever was over there sent chills down her spine. The pure spite and malevolence in that powerful chakra. It was like a demon had been awakened.

"Not so fast." Sasuke appeared in front of her. Haku barely got her arms up to block his kick. The force of the blow sent her flying backwards into her mirrors. This time, when her form collided with them, they shattered. Her concentration was gone. There was too little chakra left in the dome. This combined with the force of her body was enough to finally break the icy prison.

She picked herself up. "I don't have time for this. Forbidden Technique: Demonic Ice." It was ironic. The base technique for her mirrors was far worse than anything else she could do. As she said to a Stone ninja many years ago, her ice was different. It wasn't a creation of manipulation of water. It was pure chakra. As cold and unfeeling as the world was. She could create it anywhere within a hundred feet of herself - including inside other people.

"Urk!" Sasuke staggered. His skin was covered with frost. What was worse was the ice that was currently forming inside of him. It wasn't much. Affecting other people was hard. Their chakra naturally resisted intrusion, but it didn't take much. Every frozen cell would rupture. The technique could kill in an instant if the wrong cell in the wrong part of the body burst. It could also take minutes or hours to be fatal. There was no way to tell. What was always true was that it was the single most painful jutsu she had ever heard of. She didn't know what it felt like, but the Uchiha's sudden scream left no doubt. He hadn't uttered a single sound once from the hundreds of cuts that criss-crossed his skin. This technique brought him to his knees. Haku stared at him for a moment that stretched on and on... then she canceled the jutsu. She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill. Not for Zabuza. Not for Shirou. She wanted to be a shinobi - a pristine tool for her teacher. It just wasn't in her. The instant the boy in front of her cried out, she knew she'd never be able to follow through.

"Forgive me Zabuza, I've failed you." She wasn't a shinobi. She couldn't kill. It was now painfully obvious that she was a failure as a weapon. This was no time to feel sorry for herself. The evil chakra presence was gone, but Shirou was still in trouble. As Haku gazed across the bridge, she realized he wasn't the only one. The mist surrounding her sensei had thinned. Zabuza was trapped. Rendered immobile by several dogs. His opponent's hand was glowing. Chakra wasn't normally visible. That jutsu must concentrate the user's chakra to an absurd state. She could see it. Zabuza was about to be run through. There was only one thing to do. The ice mirror formed without any words or hand signs. Haku would stop the attack with the one thing she had left to give. She emerged from the mirror, throwing senbons at the scroll on the ground almost as an afterthought. She had acted without thought, her body moving on its own. Her corpse was all she could think of that might slow down the masked ninja's technique.

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Shirou stared at Naruto. The blonde had deactivated the jutsu that granted him that absurd speed and strength. It hurt to breath, his right arm was broken, and Shirou was coughing up blood. None of that mattered. He could still fight. Even if it was hopeless. Even if his opponent was tossing him around like a rag doll. Even if all the damage he'd done so far had been healed away. The meant nothing to the person called Shirou Uzumaki. His defeat didn't matter, only Zabuza's success. Naruto had stopped the fight. Why? He was winning. Shirou couldn't understand, so he just answered the question.

"Yeah, it's me Naruto-san."

"But, but how?"

"I'm a tool of Zabuza-sensei. I exist to serve him. That's all."

"What? He's a bad guy who takes money from a criminal! You, you're not like him! We talked! We had fun! You shared your food with me!"

"And?" Shirou was confused. "What does one of those things have to do with the other?"

"Didn't you enjoy it?"

"I did."

"Then why are we fighting?" Naruto released his arm. The blonde's whole body was shaking.

"Because you're trying to interfere with Zabuza." Shirou staggered to the side, but remained standing.

"He's trying to kill Tazuna! That drunk bridge builder is the only hope this land has! Gatou is crushing the life from it."

"I know."

"Don't you care?"

Shirou blinked. DID he care? "I... I don't know. I think it's wrong what we're doing, but Zabuza-sensei has his reasons."

"And that's enough for you to kill people? To side with a scumbag like Gatou? Why are you so loyal to that eye-browless freak?"

"I was in a great fire when I was young. I was the only survivor of my entire village. My first memories are walking through the flames. Seeing charred bodies. Smelling burned flesh. Hearing the cries for help that would go un-answered."

Naruto balked. "Your village was destroyed too?"

"I was saved. In the moment where I finally thought I too would succumb to the fire and ash, someone appeared and saved me."

"Zabuza."

"No, my sister. Haku. The thing I remember most clearly is her smile. She was so happy." Shirou gazed up in to the sky, lost in the memory. "The only thought I had was 'I want to smile like that'. So I followed her. Her and Zabuza. They let me stay, and I found out why she smiled."

"What? Your sister? She works for Zabuza too?"

Shirou nodded. "Serving Zabuza is the reason she smiles. It what I want to do. I want to smile like that."

"That's stupid!" Naruto shouted. "Why would you stake your happiness on someone else?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to be Hokage? To have the respect of the people in your village? Isn't that gaining happiness from others?"

"No! It's not! I'm becoming stronger for myself, and the people important to me! I want to be acknowledged, I admit it." Naruto looked down. "It does make me happy, but it isn't some idea I took from someone else! Why would you stake everything on just one person? If someone hates you, you have to smile despite that! You have to be happy on your own!"

"That line. 'The people important to you...' Haku said that." Shirou was confused. Haku never had explained what she meant when she had uttered that line.

"Yeah, she did! I was there! Don't you think she meant you too? You're her brother!" Naruto swung his hand down as he talked.

"I'm important to Haku?"

"Of course you are! Even if she only had Zabuza when you met her, she has you now! And you have me! We're family right?"

"Right." That... that made a lot of sense. Shirou never would've thought Naruto of all people could give him answers to questions that had plagued him his entire life. It felt good. A bloody smile came across his face. "I, I think this is only the third time I've smiled."

"What? I saw you smile yesterday."

"No. That wasn't a real smile." Shirou shook his head. "I smiled when Haku did. Trying to gain happiness from that. Smiling because I'm happy, it feels good."

"Yeah, it does, dattebayo!"

"But what about the others?" Shirou's smile vanished. "I can't fight you. Do you have to fight Haku and Zabuza!?"

Naruto squinted his eyes and scratched the back of his head. "I don't know. Can we talk with them? Get them to stop trying to kill Tazuna."

"I..I don't know." Shirou looked down the bridge. "The fog is clearing. Zabuza-sensei! HAKU!" He saw it. He saw Zabuza trapped. On the opposite side, his reinforced eyesight saw his sister. Zabuza was about to die. Haku wouldn't let that happen. Time seemed to slow down. Ice was forming beside their teacher. Haku was fast, she could get there in time, but why was the ice BESIDE him? That wouldn't stop the Leaf jonin's attack, all it would do was let Haku.. intercept it... herself... "NO!"

The cry of anguish ripped itself from his lungs like it was a living thing. Shirou knew. He just knew. Haku would sacrifice herself for Zabuza. He knew because he would do the same exact thing in her place. He'd gladly step in front of the attack. Take it with his body. Use his corpse to weigh down his opponent. He couldn't let it happen. He couldn't let Haku do it. She...SHE was his most precious person, not Zabuza! His bow was gone. Destroyed in his fight. An arrow would be too slow anyways. Shirou began to run. He couldn't breath. His legs were moving far too slowly. There had to be something. Something that he could impose between Haku and her death. The strongest sword. The sword of his teacher. Kubikiribocho. If only it were there to protect her. Shirou felt something break inside of him. It was like a switch had been flipped and smashed a the same time. His body burned. Kubikiribocho. He knew every ounce of the sword. He knew what it was made of. He knew who crafted it. He knew its entire history. He knew it more intimately than anyone else. Its history had been related to him countless times a day for nearly ten years. He willed it into existence. His one good arm reached out... and Kubikiribocho flung through the air. It had appeared dozens of yards in front of him. Hurtling forward at a speed that he could never match. The sword embedded itself in the ground just as Haku stepped out of the mirror.

The electricity in the jonin's hand struck it. The sword was strong, but lightening chakra was best at piercing. For a split second that seemed to stretch on and on, the two forces clashed, until one gave way. Kubikiribocho cracked and then split in two. The attack continued into Haku's body. Shirou could see his sister grasp the hand that killed her. Even as her blood pooled on the ground. It was too much. The Steel ninja was broken. His conjuring of the giant sword and watching Haku get impaled had pushed his body and mind past their limits. Shirou's eyesight darkened, and then he collapsed. The last sensation he felt was somebody catching him as he fell.

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"Your future is death." Kakashi charged forward, intending to end this fight with a single blow. The chidori in his hand chirped as he shoved it forward. From out of nowhere the masked ninja that had been fighting Sasuke appeared. He interposed himself between the two jonin. Kakashi couldn't stop. It was just like THAT time again. The tunnel-vision that accompanied the chidori cut down his reaction time.

Then, just as suddenly, Zabuza's sword was between them. The legendary blade of the Mist embedded itself in the ground, just as Kakashi's jutsu struck. There was a horrible noise, as the sound of birds screeched over the warping metal. The chidori won, the sword was snapped in two. Kakashi's arm continued on into the body of the young boy. The hit jarred his body, and the Hunter Ninja mask he was wearing slipped off and fell to the ground. It wasn't a boy. It was...RIN? No. No. Not his old teammate. It was another young girl. Her lifeless eyes locked with his as she stammered out: "Za..bu..za..sa..ma..."

Not again. Not again. Kakashi felt his heart racing. He tried to calm himself, but couldn't. A part of him realized he was in shock, and that he didn't have time to be stunned. The rest of him didn't listen.

Across from him, Zabuza was covered in the blood of his companion. "My future is death? Heh... You're wrong again Kakashi." The Mist ninja paused. "Great job... Haku." Zabuza then reached for the copy of Kubikiribocho that was on his back. The massive sword would cut through them both.

Kakashi looked into the eyes of Haku. His body began to move again, as he came to terms with what had happened. It wasn't Rin. It was eerily similar to the time his former teammate had thrown herself in front of his technique. This wasn't that time. His cute little genin were counting on him. Zabuza's strike came quickly, but he had delayed too long. Both of them had been stunned at the masked girl's sacrificial act.

"I sure picked up something useful! Giving me this final chance!" Zabuza yelled as he finished his swing. Kakashi grabbed Haku's body and leapt out of the way. Out of the reach of the wicked-looking sword, he gently laid the body down. The fingers of her right hand didn't want to release their grasp on him. Her left arm... was gone. Kakashi looked over at Zabuza. At his feet was the missing appendage. His chidori had missed. More accurately, it had been deflected six inches to the right. The second Kubikiribocho had lasted just long enough to alter its trajectory. The lightening blade's original path would have killed the female ninja instantly. If it had gone another six inches to the right, it would have missed her entirely. Haku wasn't dead, but she was in shock. The loss of blood, combined with chakra exhaustion and the trauma of losing her arm had rendered her unconscious. "Hehe... with Haku dead you can move." Kakashi didn't correct Zabuza's assumption. It was time to end this.

From the front of the bridge, a familiar blonde ninja came running. Naruto was carrying a redheaded boy he'd never seen before. "Naruto, stay there." He closed Haku's eyes. He had less than a minute before she would bleed out. "This is my fight."

"Kakashi! Your time is up!" Zabuza charged him. It was all rage, and no technique. The Copy-Ninja darted forward to intercept the Demon of the Mist. The kick to his stomach sent him flying.

"Haku!" "Sasuke-kun!" Behind him he heard Naruto and Sakura cry out. So they had ignored his orders in the best possible way. Sakura was checking on Sasuke. Naruto carried the other wounded teenager to Haku's body. Hopefully Minato's son had enough presence of mind to stop the blood flow. That left him all the time in the world to finish off the Demon of the Hidden Mist.

"Why... Why can't I keep up with him..?" Zabuza charged, but Kakashi casually backhanded him. The retaliatory sword strike came far more slowly than previously.

"You can't beat me in your current state." Kakashi took position behind the Mist ninja's back.

"What?!"

"You haven't noticed..." He was about to tell him about Haku's condition, but stopped. A person who betrays his comrades is worse than scum. Instead Kakashi took out two kunai and drove them into the swordman's bicep. "Now both your arms are useless. You can't even perform a seal." Zabuza groaned.

From the end of the bridge there was a tapping. A small man emerged from what was left of the mist. His cane thunked against the wooden bridge. They must have snuck in on a boat. "Ohh, you're getting your ass kicked. How disappointing...Zabuza"

"Gatou. Why are you here? And what's with all these men?"

"Hehehe" The merchant chuckled. "The plan has changed. Well, actually, I planned to do this from the beginning. Zabuza, I'm going to have you killed here."

"What?"

"I never planned on paying you once other ninja showed up. Normal ninja are expensive, missing ninja like yourself are a good deal. Do you know what an even better deal is? Hire you to fight off other ninja, and once you're weakened... finishing the job with numbers. Quite the bargain. I didn't get where I am today by not seeking out deals. The only problem in the plan was you, Zabuza. The Demon of the Hidden Mist? What a joke. If you ask me, you're just a cute little baby devil."

"Kakashi, I'm sorry." Zabuza spoke up. "This fight is over. I now have no reason to go after Tazuna. I have no reason to fight you."

"Yeah, you're right." Kakashi looked at Haku. "Your apprentice will live."

"What are you talking about?!" Naruto yelled. "He's still our enemy!"

"Naruto.." Kakashi put a hand on the overactive blonde's shoulder. It was brushed away.

"Shirou and Haku looked up to you! You treated them like tools! I saw you! You tried to cut Haku in half!" Naruto's voice grew quite. "Both of them nearly died. Do you really feel nothing?! If I become as strong as you... will I really become like that? How can you stand there and not feel a thing?" Tears were steaming down Naruto's face.

"Kid... You don't need to say anymore." Zabuza turned his head. The Mist ninja was crying. The bandages that were wrapped around his mouth were being torn away with his teeth. "I know Haku was in pain. She didn't want to fight. She didn't want to kill. Shirou is even more damaged, he just hides it better. A shinobi is still human, as much as we sometimes wish we weren't. Kid, can you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Let me borrow a kunai."

Naruto looked down at the ground. "Sure." He lobbed the knife in his hand in a gentle curve towards Zabuza.

"Thanks." The Mist jonin caught it in his mouth. "One last thing." Zabuza spoke from the side of his mouth. "Give the two of them a real home, ok?" With that, the Demon of the Hidden Mist charged Gatou and his small army.

"That's enough! Kill him!" Gatou went running to behind his mercenaries.

"Sure thing." "One half-dead ninja against all of us?" "Do you really think you can win?" Several jeers came from the crowd.

Zabuza charged. His speed hadn't diminished. While he needed to get in close to his target, it was still easy for him to mow down everyone that stood in his way. Chakra began to become visible around him. It looked like a demonic head. Kakashi blinked. It was terrifying, or it would be for anyone who hadn't seen the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Leaf jonin glanced down at Naruto. Minato's son didn't seem any worse for wear. Whatever had happened to the seal seemed to have stopped.

The commotion at the center of Gatou's armed killers stopped. A single head came flying up, out of the crowd. It landed in front of him and Naruto. Gatou was dead. The army parted, revealing Zabuza's unmoving body. He had been stabbed more than a dozen times. The weapons remained lodged in his back. The attackers who had managed to land a blow had all lost ahold of their blades when Zabuza kept moving.

"Don't look away." Kakashi spoke to Naruto. "That was the end of a man who lived a difficult life."

"Yeah."

"Sasuke-kun!" The happiness in Sakura's voice was unmistakable. Off to the side, the Uchiha was sitting up. His pink-haired teammate was fussing over him.

"I was worried, but it looks like Sasuke's alright too. That's great." Kakashi was relieved. No one had died. That was some luck they had on their side.

"Hey! You guys are too relaxed!" "You ninja killed our meal ticket!" "You guys are dead!" "We're going to kill all of you!" "And we're going to pillage what's left of this town!" The crowd had lost some of it's number to Zabuza's attack, but not nearly enough. The remaining thugs were getting prepared to charge.

"Damn, this is bad." The Copy-Ninja backed up.

"Kakashi-sensei, don't you have a special jutsu to defeat them all?"

"I can't... After the Chidori, summoning, and the Sharingan, I've used too much chakra!"

A single arrow came arcing up over their heads. It struck the bridge between them and the bandits. "If you come any further onto our island..." "The citizens of this country will..." "Stop you with everything we've got!"

"Inari!" Naruto shouted. Tazuna's grandson was front and center of the militia that had arrived. "Ok! I can help out too! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Four shadow clones of Naruto appeared next to them.

Kakashi looked over at the blonde, and then at the mercenaries. They didn't seem like the brightest bunch. The Copy-Ninja formed the signs for a regular clone. Just before he finished the technique he shouted: "Shadow Clone Jutsu. Kakashi Style!" Several dozen regular clones appeared. From the looks of fear on the faces in the crowd, they didn't know these were just illusions. The mercenaries fled.

Once the bridge was cleared of hostile forces, Kakashi walked to the fallen form of Zabuza. The Demon of the Hidden Mist raised his head. "It looks like it's over."

"Yes..."

"Kakashi, I have a request."

"What is it?"

"I want... I want to see their faces. One last time."

Kakashi lowered his head guard over his sharingan. "Sure." He picked Zabuza up, carried him back to where everyone was gathered, and laid him next to his two apprentices.

The Mist jonin raised a hand and brushed Haku's face. "Will they be welcome in the Village Hidden in the Leaves? They weren't Mist ninja, not really. I trained them myself. They aren't technically missing nins."

"I'll do what I can." The decision would ultimately rest with the Hokage. Kakashi suspected what it would be. In the mean time he'd have to treat the teenagers as guests. His cute little genin wouldn't be happy with anything else. Well, Sasuke might after what the girl did to him. In any case, hauling them back as prisoners wouldn't help instill in them the Will of Fire.

"Haku, Shirou. Look out for each other. You don't have to just be tools. Tell them that. Promise me."

"I promise, dattebayo!" Naruto spoke up. He looked like he had grown several years in the last half hour.

Satisfied that his final request would be carried out, Zabuza closed his eyes for the last time. "Without me around, you.. might... just... be... hap... py..." The Demon of the Hidden Mist's hand fell. His voice was barely more than a whisper, but a tear rolled down Haku's cheek. The female ninja remained unconscious as snow began to drift down from the sky.


	5. The Land of Waves 2

Kakashi looked over the two injured Mist ninja. No, that wasn't correct. Zabuza had told the truth about them not receiving training from the Hidden Mist. Of that much, Kakashi was sure. The Bingo Book listing for Zabuza only made mention of the Demon Brothers. No other known associates. Neither of the two teenagers laying before him had entries. If they were ninjas of the Mist, the Bingo Book would contain information about them. In-country bounties came from the Mizukage. Thus, they were more reliable then a spy's report. The Copy Ninja would keep his word. He'd make sure they were welcome in the Hidden Leaf. They might not want to be ninjas, or accepted as such. The girl's bloodline would mean they'd be accepted regardless. Even if they were just civilians, her ice chakra could start a new clan. The boy also had some tricks up his sleeve. Kakashi still had to talk to Naruto about his fight, but the one jutsu he'd seen of Shirou's was impressive. That sword wasn't just a chakra construct. It had held up to the chidori. Did he create it? Summon it? Somehow he'd duplicated the original sword. It was either a bloodline or a powerful jutsu.

That was assuming Shirou ever woke up. Haku had stabilized. Her face was pale, and her chakra levels were almost non-existent, but she'd recover. Her brother had suffered a broken sternum, crushed ulna and radius bones, and a hairline fracture in his jaw. More disturbing, Kakashi couldn't sense any chakra from the boy. If he wasn't breathing, the Leaf jonin would've been sure he was dead already. That level of chakra exhaustion was fatal. How Shirou was hanging on, he didn't know.

One final problem faced Kakashi. What if the brother and sister attacked them? Naruto had apparently come to an understanding and ceasefire with Shirou. Zabuza's death might push either one of the siblings over the edge. Heck, they might decide to continue their contract. Even with Gatou dead. They hadn't witnessed his betrayal of them after all. That's why the masked ninja was standing vigil over their resting forms. To both monitor their progress, and deal with any hostilities that might arise.

"Uhn.." Shirou groaned. His eyes opened, and he blearily looked around. "Wha... Where am I?"

"You're in Tazuna's house." Kakashi replied as he put away his copy of Icha Icha Paradise.

Shirou closed his eyes and laid his head back down. "The bridge builder? I was on the bridge, and.. Zabuza!" The boy paused, then sat straight up. "HAKU!"

"You sister is right there."

"What?" Shirou looked around. "Haku! Is she all right? I saw her die!"

"She lost an arm, but now she's in stable condition. With time she should be better."

"Oh, that's good." Shirou smiled. Tears were streaming down his face. "I should make her breakfast. For when she wakes up." He turned and looked at Kakashi, before moving to try and stand. "Argh!" Once his bandaged arm touched the ground, he cried out.

"You're pretty injured too. It might be best if you stayed in bed."

The boy nodded. "Yeah, she'll get upset if I don't rest when I'm hurt. Where's Zabuza-sensei? Did the two of you agree to stop fighting?"

"We did. Gatou showed up and announced he wasn't going to pay, and that he was going to kill everyone instead."

"That doesn't seem smart."

"Since Zabuza decapitated him, I'd have to agree."

"That's good. I'm glad we don't have to fight anymore." Shirou smiled again. "I've decided that I'm going to protect my family no matter what. So if Haku and Naruto were fighting, I'm not sure what I'd do."

"Shirou. You should know. Zabuza is dead."

The redhead froze. He slowly turned to face the masked ninja. "What? How?"

"He was injured, but he charged Gatou's men."

"Oh." Shirou sat still. In a small voice he said. "I can't be his tool anymore." Then as a whisper he added. "But I can protect Haku."

Kakashi looked to the side. He didn't want to impunge on another's grief. "You should rest. I'll go get you some food."

"Ok. Thank you." The boy seemed to be in shock. Not surprising with all he'd just been through.

Kakashi got up. Shirou wouldn't be a problem. He was either completely guileless, or the best liar in the country. Downstairs Naruto was pacing back and forth. Sasuke was in Tazuna's room, being tended to by Sakura.

"Kakashi-sensei!" The hyperactive orange blur ran over to him. "Are Shirou and Haku ok?"

"Maa maa, Naruto. Quiet down." The jonin waved his genin off. "Shirou is awake, but he's still weak."

"So he'll be better?"

"I can't say. His chakra levels are still far too low, but they should now start to rise now that he's conscious."

"Hmmmmm..." Naruto crossed his arms and let out a long drawn out sigh.

"What is it Naruto?"

"I was just thinking about what that eyebrow-less guy said."

"Zabuza?"

"Yeah! I promised him I'd tell Shirou and Haku that they had to look out for each other, and that they didn't have to be tools."

"I remember."

"After that, he said they might be happy without him around." Naruto squinted and tilted his head. "What did he mean by that? Shirou looked up to him!"

"Ah, well, I can't say I know what was going though his mind." Kakashi looked away. "I think one of the reasons he charged Gatou, despite knowing his students were still alive, was that he wanted to die."

"What?! Who would ever want that!"

"Naruto! Be quiet!" Sakura shouted from the adjoining room.

Naruto winced. "Sorry, Sakura." The words came out in a much lower voice. He turned back to his teacher. "Why would he want to die?"

Kakashi sighed. "You're a bit young to be asking these sort of questions." The jonin raised his hand, cutting off Naruto's retort. "But you're a ninja now, so I'll answer as best I can. Think. Zabuza had just seen one of his apprentices jump in front of a deadly attack to save him."

"Yeah, I saw Haku do that. Zabuza didn't seem to care! He tried to cut through both you and her!"

"He said that, but I don't believe him."

"How can you not believe him?!"

"People lie all the time. Especially to themselves. The time he took to attack, even when he thought he was just going though he corpse, was far too long. I'd been fighting with him a while at that point. I had a pretty good feeling of his reaction times."

"So he didn't REALLY want to hurt Haku? What does that have to do with him wanting to die?"

Kakashi paused. "How do I put this? If Sasuke or Sakura jumped in front of an attack to save you, how would you feel?"

Naruto crossed his arms, and tilted his head. "I dunno. Angry?!"

"What if they sacrificed themselves when there was a much more obvious solution?"

"Really angry!" Naruto nodded. "I guess I'd also be confused about why they would do something like that."

"Exactly. Haku had to form one of her ice mirrors to get to Zabuza's side. You didn't see her fight with Sasuke, but those mirrors are pretty tough."

"Yeah! If Sasuke-teme couldn't break them, they would have to be!"

"So, if you could jump in front of an attack, but could only do so by creating something like that...?"

"I'd put the mirror between me and the attack!" Naruto's eyes went wide. "So Haku wanted to die too?!"

"Perhaps not consciously, but both of us saw that option. So why didn't she?"

"I don't know."

"Being a ninja is hard. I think she hit her breaking point."

"But she couldn't abandon Zabuza" Naruto interrupted. "Not any more than Shirou could! Zabuza knew that!"

"Exactly. If it was your presence that was causing people you loved pain..."

"Yeah..." Naruto lowered his head, his eyes lost in the shadows. "I get it now. It was stupid, but I get it. Zabuza did what he thought he needed to do to make Haku and Shirou happy. Even though he knew it would make them sad, he thought it would allow them to become happier in the future."

Kakashi put his hand on Minato's son's shoulder. "But will it really? Or will it just leave a hole in their hearts?"

Tears fell at the blonde's feet. "It's just too sad."

"Zabuza didn't have any friends to help him. Let's make sure the same thing does happen to Haku and Shirou."

Naruto wiped his nose with his sleeve. "Yeah! Dattebayo!"

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2 weeks later...

Haku stood in front of Zabuza's grave. She held her sensei's old Anbu mask in her hand. She wanted to cry. She needed to bawl, to shout at the heavens, but she couldn't. Ever since she woke up... nothing had come out. Not crying, not shouting, not even any words. The Ice Ninja wanted to do all those things. She wanted to talk with Shirou more than anything. Her voice just wouldn't come out. It was that same horrible frozen feeling she'd had after her parent's deaths, but worse. Zabuza... Zabuza had been her life. She'd been with him longer than anyone else in this world. Now, now nobody wanted her. She was alone. Nothing could ever...

A warm arm came over her shoulders. Shirou pulled her into a half-hug. Her brother. Her silly, dense, little brother. Haku turned into his chest. Shirou's arms wrapped around her. It was if his gentle heat was melting the ice inside of her. "Shirou." Barely a whisper. It was the first word she'd said since she woke up.

"It's ok Nee-chan. I'm here with you. I'll never leave you."

He could read her mind. Tears began to fall. Once they started, they wouldn't stop. Haku lost track of the world. All that she knew was that she was crying in Shirou's arms. Some time later, she stopped and slipped into a half-sleep state. Shirou still held her when she awoke. Her eyes felt puffy and raw. A gentle hand raised her chin up, and she stared into the golden-brown eyes of her only family left. "Shirou..."

"It's ok Haku. Take as long as you need."

Haku looked around. They had come out at dawn, but now the sun was now shining brightly above them. The masked jonin that had defeated Zabuza was lounging against a nearby tree. He was reading from a small orange book. The rest of his genin were nowhere to be seen. If she wanted her revenge, now was the time. Not that she stood a chance. If Shirou wasn't here, she didn't know what she'd do. Kakashi wasn't the enemy. Zabuza had been killed by Gatou's thugs, but only because he was so wounded by his fight with the Leaf jonin. She glanced up at her brother.

All other thoughts vanished. She couldn't do anything that would put Shirou in trouble or hurt him in any way. Naruto was his relative. She nodded. Shirou would want to go to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, but what did she want? With her nose elevated, she felt the snot running out of it. Oh Kami! She must look horrible! She pushed Shirou away and started wiping her eyes and nose with her sleeve. Shirou gently took her hand and lowered it. His other arm came up with a piece of white cloth. He wiped her face, and then held it to her nose. "Blow." She obediently did. A small chuckle escaped her mouth. It was like she was a little girl again. She looked up to her younger brother again. Shirou looked back and said: "I like your smile."

"Thank you." She didn't even know she was smiling. The crying, the laughing, it was a great catharsis. She felt alive again. Still sad, but even that felt good in a way. The knowledge that Shirou was here. That he was feeling the same things she was. That was surprisingly comforting. Like she wasn't alone. "Shirou, how are you feeling?"

Her brother gave her a melancholy smile. "Like there's a hole inside me. For so long, we were Zabuza's tools." He shook his head. "Right before I lost consciousness on the bridge, I talked with Naruto. I decided that if I had to choose, I'd protect you Haku." Shirou took a deep breath. "I'm sad Zabuza is dead, but I'm even happier that you're alive." A few seconds passed. "Does that make me a bad person?"

Haku shook her head. "No, I'm glad your alive too little brother." She tried to think of the best way to phrase this. "It's like I have a reason to continue on."

Shirou nodded. "Yeah. We need to look forward. We might have failed as tools, but we won't fail each other!"

Haku let out another small giggle. "Yeah."

Together they walked to Zabuza's grave. Haku kneeled down and placed the Anbu mask on top of the gravestone. Shirou nodded, and then reached out and pried Kubikiribocho from the ground.

"So you've decided to take it with you." Kakashi spoke up from his position by the tree.

"It doesn't fit my fighting style, but I couldn't just leave it behind." Shirou knelt down and took out a role of bandages from his kunai pouch.

"Yeah, if we leave it here, some bandit is likely to come along an take it." Haku added. It hurt to talk, but at the same time it felt good to interact with people again.

"Good point Haku." Shirou began to wrap the great sword.

"When you two are ready, come by Tazuna's house." Kakashi closed his book and stored it in a pouch on his waist. "Hopefully Naruto and Inari have finished saying goodbye by now."

"Sorry for keeping everyone so long." Shirou called out to the departing jonin.

"It's no problem." Kakashi waved one hand as he walked away. "I'm normally very punctual, but I make exceptions for mourning."

Shirou continued to wrap Kubikiribocho. It took him several minutes. When he finished, he looked at Haku. "Well, Haku-nee-chan, shall we go?"

She looked back at him. She understood the real question. 'Do you want to go with them?' Kakashi had left them alone on purpose. As a test or as an opportunity to slip away quietly, she didn't know. Haku didn't know what to expect in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She had been assured that her bloodline would be something welcomed with open arms. She didn't even have to be a ninja anymore. She and Shirou could be civilians. Her brother would become a chef. He'd be happy, so would she.

Or they could head out on their own. Find another town to settle in. As long as they didn't advertise they were ninja, they could live almost anywhere. They could even go to one of the smaller countries without a Hidden Village. Settle down, just the two of them.

There was one huge Tailed-Beast sized flaw in that plan. Naruto. Shirou's cousin. Whether they were related by blood had ceased to matter. Not any more than her and Shirou sharing any parentage. Her brother considered the blonde boy family, and the feeling was mutual. Shirou would leave with her if she asked, but it would break his heart. He'd started going on and on about family recently. It was kind of adorable. No, there was no choice. They'd have to go to the Hidden Leaf. Shirou would be a ninja to protect her and Naruto. That meant she'd have to come along to keep him out of trouble. There was no other future she could see.

"Heh" She laughed to herself. Kakashi probably knew all of this. His departure was a test, but not to see if they'd leave. By giving her the option, he'd roped them in even tighter. He'd made them make a decision, knowing what their response would be. Now they were going with the Leaf ninja of their own free will. It was pretty effective manipulation, even if you recognized it. "We really don't have a choice, Shirou. Let's go meet up with Naruto. We've wasted too much of the day already."

Her brother just nodded. Shirou stood up and secured Kubikiribocho on his back. He then took her hand. She gave him a reassuring squeeze, and the two of them walked away from the grave of their sensei. Zabuza Momochi. The Demon of the Hidden Mist. Failed rebel. One of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Their father.

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"C'mon Sasuke, we're leaving. You can walk next to me. If you want."

"Hn." Sasuke didn't look up at his pink-haired teammate. The Uchiha was in a poor mood. If he was honest with himself, he'd been in a poor mood for the last two weeks. Sitting around, waiting for construction to finish. He was recovering from whatever attack the girl had used on him, so he couldn't even train. Not until a medical nin checked him out.

It was preposterous. He needed to train. He NEEDED to get stronger. If he couldn't beat a ninja that was younger than That Man, and who had an inferior blood line, how would he fair against the real thing? Being rookie of the year. Beating out all his classmates. What a fool he was to judge himself by that pathetic measure. Haku had never attended an academy. She grew up under the tutelage of a powerful jonin.

"C'mon Sasuke-teme! Hurry up! Shirou and Haku are back!" Naruto was yelling at him now. "We'll leave without you!"

"Hn." Look at what the academy produced. Losers like Naruto. He wasn't even concerned about their two new 'guests'. Sasuke stood up. He kept his hands in his pockets, holding a kunai and ninja wire. HE wasn't about to be caught off-guard again. The brother and sister had been their enemies. It was foolish to treat them as allies, just because their OTHER enemy had asked them too.

"You can get an apartment next to me! The rent is kinda high, and the landlord is a jerk. The building is also pretty run-down. It doesn't have any hot water. The rats can be a problem at times too." Kami, would Naruto ever shut up? Sasuke did his best to block out the stream of nonsense coming from his other teammate.

The last real Uchiha had better things to think about. Like what he needed to do to catch up with Itachi. No. Not Itachi. He wouldn't even think the traitor's name. What could he do to catch up with That Man? The two most promising options were to join Anbu, or get a personal instructor. Anbu would be preferable, except that's what That Man did. No, he didn't want to follow in His footsteps.

He needed a teacher. Kakashi should've been the perfect choice. Their jonin leader was strong and talented. He didn't teach them anything though. Even the tree-walking exercise was forced. They only learned it because of the life-or-death situation they'd found themselves in. Sasuke wasn't stupid. He realized the point of their missions up to now was to learn teamwork. That would be fine, but they should've gotten past that stage months ago. It was because of Naruto.

Sasuke glared at the blonde ninja. He was STILL going on about his apartment. "Naruto! SHUT UP!" Sakura snapped. The pinkette slammed her fist down on Dead Last's head. Sasuke flinched. That looked like it hurt. Still, it quieted down the loudmouth. At least for a time. "Can't you see you're annoying Sasuke?"

"Hn." The Uchiha in question didn't want to be brought into the conversation. A non-committal grunt was the only response he'd give. He supposed that Sakura was also a problem to their teamwork. Why couldn't they get along like Haku and Shirou. Then again they were brother and sis... No. He needed to stop that thought in its tracks.

Once he was back to the Hidden Leaf, he would get a clean medical bill of health. Then he could add tree-walking to his training regime. What else? How did Haku get so strong? She was also being pulled down by her Uzumaki teammate. Perhaps she had some advice? He should ask, but not now. Not until she was actually a Leaf Ninja. That would reduce the chances of her misleading him. You never knew who was lying to you. Lying to you for years, while they pretended to be your brother...

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Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office. Being Hokage was never easy. There were times when it was unspeakably boring and times when it was dangerously not. The times when he got good news gave him the strength to go on. Take for instance when Naruto's team had returned from their first C-Rank mission. Heading outside the village always had the potential for escalation. It was still pretty rare for a C-Rank to devolve into an A-Rank. While the mission turned out to be much more deadly than anticipated, Team 7 had pulled through. They had secured friendly relations with a town that was about to become a major trading hub. That more than made up for them not claiming the bounty on Zabuza Momochi. Not that the Hokage could blame them. Missing nin bounties could only be claimed in their home nation. A detour into the Land of Water would NOT have been an acceptable decision. Standard protocol was to seal the body and return it to the village. The Torture and Interrogation force could then extract information from the corpse. Later on, part of the body could still be used to claim the reward.

What to do was up to the team leader. Kakashi wasn't the type to desecrate a body like that. What they had brought back instead was even more surprising. Two missing nins. Well, the teenagers weren't technically ever associated with a Hidden Village. So they weren't Missing in Action. If the Hidden Mist knew about them, they could raise a fuss. There might be some political fallout. The fates of Shirou and Haku would be decided with his next appointment. Right on time, Ibiki Morino walked into the office.

"Hokage." The scarred interrogation specialist bowed his head in greeting.

"Morino." Hiruzen gave a small nod. "You have the report on our two guests?" He stressed the last word. He wasn't about to let the T&I use their more... persuasive techniques against children. Especially since in this case the subjects might become members of the Leaf.

"We've interviewed them extensively. Several tests were made. All with their cooperation."

"Very good. What are their physical abilities."

"For the girl, Haku Yuki." Ibiki opened up a scroll and looked over the data inside. "She is a member of the Yuki clan. As such she possesses the Ice bloodline."

"I see." That was a powerful ability. "The Yuki clan was prominent in the second ninja war. Their decline during the third, and the Mist's new policies had thought to have wiped them out completely."

"The reports seem to have been wrong in this case." The special jonin continued. "She lacks an instructor, but the abilities she has displayed have been impressive none the less."

"And her physical capacity?"

"She lost her left arm. This would normally be a career ending injury for most ninja. However, she has the ability to form seals with one hand."

"Really?"

"Yes. We have yet to figure out if this is granted by her genetics or her environment. Proof that such a thing is possible will have teachers in the academy tripping over each other to talk with her."

The Hokage nodded. "What of her ranking?"

"Low-jonin."

That raised Hiruzen's eyes. "Really? Even with her missing arm?"

"Yes, in pure physical capacity and skills. Her actually effectiveness is much lower due to her mental imbalance."

"Ah." That would explain how Kakashi's team had overcome two jonin level opponents. "And the boy?"

Ibiki unraveled more of the scroll. "Shirou Uzumaki. While he displays several traits associated with the Uzumaki, we don't believe he's an actual member of the clan. Most likely, he's an offshoot of a minor branch. Related, but possessing a completely different chakra nature."

"So does he also have a blood line?"

"Yes. One we've never encountered before. He's displayed the ability to summon weapons."

"Summoning something that's not alive? That's an advanced ability, but there are a few existing examples."

"That's correct, and we have no details on how. The boy is quite open about the nature of his technique, and the steps to perform it. All our attempted duplication have been abject failures. Our latest theory is that his summoning is the result of an unknown contract. Possibly manipulating both space and time."

"TIME?" The Hokage coughed. "That's unheard of!"

"Yes." The scarred jonin cleared his throat. "It's based on the fact that he can summon a sword that already exists. The Kubikiribocho. Due to the sword's ability to repair itself, there wouldn't be a paradox with his breaking the summoned copy. He can also summon three other Swords of the Mist. We are hesitant to damage the blades to further test if they are from the past or future. Or indeed if time manipulation is even involved. The other possibility, that the swords come from alternate universes... is even more disturbing."

"Both possibilities seem impossible." Hiruzen pulled out his pipe. He needed nicotine if they were going to continue this conversation.

"More common blades can be summoned multiple times despite their destruction. Since they aren't as unique, we cannot be one hundred percent certain that they are the same weapons as before."

"And the swords are summons, not chakra constructs?" The Hokage began to pack tobacco in his pipe.

"Yes. At the very least chakra is involved in creating them, but none can be found in the final objects. This, however, is inconclusive."

"How so?"

"The boy's chakra is almost undetectable. When he's not using it, no technique can pick any up. Even when he's actively manipulating his chakra only two people in the entire division could sense him. They had to be focusing on the task to notice him too."

"Fascinating."

"Indeed. Even the Sensing Barrier around the village doesn't react to him. It seems obvious why an assassin like Zabuza Momochi was interested in him."

"True. It's not an unheard of ability, but the level he's displaying is quite phenomenal. Is there anything else?" A D-Rank fire jutsu lit the pipe.

"Somehow, yes. He also possesses an unknown doujutsu. His eyesight's acuity and range rivals that of the sharingan and byakugan."

"Impressive." Hiruzen puffed out a smoke ring.

"Yes, but his eyes display no other abilities. He can't see chakra or through objects. They don't seem to grant him an affinity with genjutsu either, though the boy himself is almost innately immune."

"So a possible time related jutsu, undetectable chakra, a doujutsu, and resistance to genjutsu. Is there anything else?"

"No, Hokage."

"So your ranking of Shirou Uzumaki?"

"Mid-chunin."

"What?" The pipe almost fell out of Hiruzen's mouth.

"For all of his abilities, he cannot perform even the most basic of jutsu. He would only graduate with special dispensation. Clones, replacement, or disguise techniques - he's incapable of them all."

"It would almost sound like his chakra coils are atrophied." The Hokage stood up, and turned to face the window. He took a long drag on his pipe. It was calming to look out over the village.

"His chakra pathways are... not normal."

"How so?"

"The reports from the byakugan are that he doesn't possess any visible tenketsu. His chakra pathways themselves are more numerous and erratic in their locations. In addition, he apparently has no chakra coils." Ibiki looked up from the scroll. "Please note, even the byakugan couldn't detect his chakra when he wasn't actively using it. So these reports may not be accurate."

"Either way it's a notable phenomena. He has chakra coils undetectable to the byakugan, or he doesn't possess them at all." Smoke began to curl up around the Hokage's hat of office.

"Based on the other evidence, I'd hazard a guess that it's the former. It's less extreme than him missing a vital organ."

"I agree. He wouldn't be capable of living without coils. If the difference in his chakra pathways are any indicator, we can assume they are probably damaged in some way. Even without the ability to see them. That would prevent most jutsu from working properly or at all."

"Yes. Or the very nature of his chakra may be at fault. Whatever grants him these other abilities might also prevent traditional jutsu. His chakra also incredibly unbalanced. There's no detectable physical energy in it at all."

"So just Yin chakra..." The Hokage stroked his chin. "What about their mental states?"

Ibiki stood taller. "Both the boy and the girl display a severe level of survivor's guilt. It's led them both to have suicidal tendencies and a dissociative disorder. In addition, their behavior patterns dictate a high level of co-dependency."

"Hmmm... That's not unexpected given what they've been though. It does make handling them more difficult. Is there anything else Morino-san?"

"No, Hokage-sama."

"Very well, dismissed."

The Head of the Village Hidden in the Leaves' Torture and Interrogation force placed the scroll on the desk. He then bowed, and exited the office. From the shadows a man emerged. The right side of his head was wrapped in bandages that didn't cover his shaggy black hair. He walked with a cane in his left hand, since his right arm was tucked away in his robe, as usual.

"Danzo." The Hokage turned around and acknowledged his presence. "Your thoughts on how to handle our newest guests?"

The bandaged man spoke in a low voice. "They could be valuable assets. Two new unique bloodlines is quite the coup."

"Indeed."

"They need only a strong instructor to bring them in line. I would not be opposed to the task."

Hiruzen kept the scowl off his face. The last thing emotionally vulnerable children needed was instruction by his old teammate. "No, I've already decided on whom their teacher should be." He took a pause to take a deep drag from his pipe. "So we are agreed that we should let them join the Hidden Leaf?"

"They are far too valuable to let go. If they fail as ninja, they can always be counted on to produce heirs."

"Yes, and I doubt they would have to look far for potential unions. The clans will fall over themselves to add either to their ranks."

Danzo nodded. "I have an apprentice that would be well-suited to keeping an eye on the two of them. You could assign him as their teammate."

"Yes, he would fit in quite well." Hiruzen knew the Anbu operative that Danzo was speaking of. "The only problem I foresee with that is the chunin exams."

"He could bow out before the publicized events."

"His very presence would throw off the rest of the field, not to mention Shirou and Haku's accomplishments."

"As you say, perhaps afterwards."

"Perhaps. So you agree that they should compete, if their sensei thinks they're up to it?"

"Their mission stats of zero D-Rank, zero C-Rank, two B-Rank, and twenty seven A-Rank qualify them. Even without official documentation of their performance, and that they participated in said missions without their previous Hidden Village's knowledge. If we downgrade the ranks by one or two levels to account for the presence of Zabuza Momochi, they still far surpass the minimum requirements."

"If we can trust them to tell us about what missions they went on accurately."

Danzo bowed his head. "What information we could confirm matches up with their accounts accurately. I doubt they would lie about such things."

"Yes, there's not much time left, but I think they have a suitable amount of field experience. I'm more worried about their ability to perform without a leader."

"That's what the exams are for, are they not? In addition, they will be shown to the world. The Hidden Leaf has even more bloodlines now. It will also publicly stake our claim to them."

"Yes, the Hidden Mist might know of them. If they decide to exercise their 'right'. The chunin exams would be a potent counter."

"Without official recognition, a ninja has no village."

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"C'mon Shirou! Let's go!" Haku tapped her foot impatiently. There was no reason for her brother to take longer to get dressed than she did. He still had both arms after all.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Shirou called out from his cell. "I'm not sure what I should take with me."

"Let me see." Haku let herself in. Shirou was standing beside his cot. Kubikiribocho was laid out beside some kunai and some black cloth. "Whatever you do, don't wear the hood."

"But this is a ninja village. Surely most people wear them."

"I think most ninja are content with their head guards, which we don't have yet. Mainly because we're not officially ninja."

Shirou sighed. "Alright. Until I can buy some chakra paper, I won't be able to make it that tough anyways. What about Kubikiribocho?"

"Hmmm..." Haku walked over, her one hand was on her chin. "Probably not without its wrapping."

"Yeah."

"Do you really need weapons with that new summoning technique of yours?"

"Reinforcing is a lot less draining. I can only summon things so much before I'm worn out." Shirou scratched the back of his head. "I also feel kinda naked without some weapons on me."

"Then just take the butterfly swords and your kunai pouch. No one will look twice."

"Ok. When do you think I can pick up a new bow?"

"Probably not until we save up some money. Getting released from the T&I division is a good thing, but it also means we're going to be on our own. We need to find someplace to stay."

"We should just track down Naruto." Shirou fastened his belt-sheath and kunai pouch. "His apartment sounds nice."

"It sounds horrible!" Haku began to cross her arms. With a start, she realized the futility of the gesture. Her face burned as she turned away and looked at the floor.

"Ok, we'll find someplace you'll enjoy."

"Thanks little bro." She softly said over her good shoulder.

"Don't mention it." Shirou waved her off. "I'm ready."

"Then. Let's. GO!" Haku grabbed his hand and led him out of the room. She realized she'd taken to holding his hand while they walked. It felt reassuring. The physical presence, that her brother was still there even if she wasn't looking at him.

The pair walked out of the compound in silence. Outside, the mid-day sun greeted them. They wandered for a while, both of them taking in the banality of it all. It was a village, like any other they'd been to. It was nicer than pretty much every other one they'd visited, but at its heart it was the same. People walking back and forth. Merchant stalls, restaurants, shops, little kids with their parents, little kids running around on their own. There were a few things that set it apart. Ninja were stationed along the outside wall. They also saw several jumping across the rooftops or walking down the street. Mostly, they went about their business like anyone else.

"It's...nice. Calm." Shirou spoke.

"Yeah, it is a pleasant place." Haku wanted to point out how well the civilians were doing. That they could just live here. She knew Shirou too well though. His drive to be a tool for Zabuza had changed to a need to protect her and Naruto. The best way to do that was to be a ninja. To grow stronger. It was a conversation they'd had many times. Shirou was as unbending as the Steel that infused his chakra. "Hey, what's that?" Haku let go of her brother's hand so she could point.

"Looks like a restaurant."

"I know. Look at the name."

"Ichiraku's?"

"Naruto mentioned it before."

"He did?" Shirou closed his eyes as his brow furrowed. "That's right!" His eyes snapped open. "He said my cooking was almost as good as Ichiraku's."

"Wanna give it a try?"

"Sure!"

The two of them sat down. They still had a descent amount of ryo saved. Enough to eat out at least. Haku looked over the menu. "Ramen?"

"I guess that's what they serve."

"Ok."

"Do you know what you want?" A slender girl with long brown hair asked them from the other side of the counter.

"I'll have the pork ramen." Shirou placed his order.

"Miso for me."

"Right. One pork and one miso, coming right up!" The girl called out.

The smiling man who was apparently the chef replied. "One pork and one miso!" He proceeded to fold dough on the board in front of him. A wide knife cut through the edges, then the process was repeated. In no time, the dough had been transformed into noodles, which the man began to tease apart. He then sprinkled the strands into a pot in front of him. He also added various vegetables and seasoning. While the noodles cooked, he switched his attention to another simmering container.

Haku and Shirou looked on with interest. After a few minutes, the chef took out the noodles. They went into large bowls, and then were covered with different soups. A generous amount of toppings were added, and the two dishes were then placed on the counter.

The brown haired girl placed chopsticks and a soup spoon next to each bowl. "A pork ramen for the boy, and a miso ramen for the girl."

Haku picked up her chopsticks, an action that required a bit a manual dexterity. She grabbed some noodles and pulled them out of the bowl. A loud slurp from her and Shirou let them eat their food while cooling it down at the same time. "This... this is REALLY good!" She exclaimed.

Shirou wore a frown. "My cooking doesn't come anywhere close."

"Don't be silly, you're cooking is great too."

"No, I need to improved." Shirou ate another mouthful. "Hey Haku-nee-chan. Do you think they need any help? I think I'd like to learn from a master chef."

The two continued to eat for a while before a voice behind them said: "Haku."

The girl in question turned around. Standing behind them was a familiar face. "Hello Sasuke."

The black haired boy continued. "You're going to be a Leaf ninja right?"

"That's right."

"Then, I have a question for you." The boy took a deep breath. "How did you get so strong?"

"How did I get so strong?"

"Yeah."

Haku raised a finger to her chin. "Well, I have been training ever since I was little."

"What kind of training?"

"Chakra control, developing jutsus, target practice, but most of the time was spent sparring with Shirou." Haku glanced at her younger brother. He was animatedly talking to the proprietor of the ramen stand. "If you want to get stronger, you have teammates. Spar with them in your free time."

"Hn." Sasuke scowled. "Sparring with Naruto or Sakura is a joke."

"Oh?"

"They're too easy. It's no challenge."

"It was that way with me and Shirou for a while too." Haku gestured over her shoulder at the redhead. "Zabuza made sure that I was challenged."

"How so?"

"First by giving Shirou weapons, but that was before either of us was really skilled. A sword or a kunai then made a big difference. Also, prolonged sessions. Shirou has better endurance than me, so the longer we trained the harder it got for me. There are probably other things you could do to make things harder on yourself, like weights or fighting them after your regular training." Haku paused. "Instead, why don't you focus on bringing your teammates up to your level?"

"Hn. The Dead Last? Naruto is a clown."

"He's really powerful though." Shirou turned around and joined the conversation. "I can understand why he's not as effective in training. Naruto's the type of person that gets stronger when he has someone to protect."

Haku turned back to her food. She could recognize one of Shirou's rants coming on. This one would be about 'family' or 'precious people'. She didn't need to hear her own philosophy expounded upon again. Sasuke, on the other hand, might benefit from it. The Uchiha hadn't joined in with Shirou and Naruto's conversations on the trip back from the Land of Waves.

"Naruto powerful? He was the worst in our class."

"You must have some skilled ninjas then." Shirou closed his eyes and nodded. "He easily defeated me. I'm sure he would've done the same to Haku. That aura technique of his is unstoppable."

"Aura technique?" Sasuke looked curious.

"Yeah. He probably won't use it outside a life or death situation. He nearly killed me with one punch." Shirou's statement caught Haku's attention. They hadn't talked about their fight on the bridge. It brought up too many bad memories. That Naruto had won against her brother was news.

"So he's holding back." Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

Shirou held up his hand. "Not on purpose. Like I said he gets stronger when he has someone to protect. His technique might be weaker or unusable outside of such a situation."

"Hn."

"If you want to get stronger, you should get some more precious people of your own." Shirou stood up and clapped one hand on the scowling boy's shoulder. "Your motivation when you fight, your driving force, it's what will let you win and become stronger."

Sasuke batted Shirou's hand away. "I already have my motivation." He turned around and started walking away. "And I used to have lots of precious people. You're right. Family is a huge driving force."

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Inoichi Yamanaka walked into one of the empty classrooms at the academy. He believed in being early. Showing up late for your new genin team wouldn't foster much goodwill. With no one else around, he leaned against the desk to wait. There was time to kill, and the jonin's thoughts strayed to imagining the future. Throughout the chunin exams he'd still get to remain in the village. That would allow him to continue his work in the T&I division. After that... being sent outside the village again was a little exciting. His Ino-chan would soon being going on missions away from the Hidden Village too. Without his little princess around, there wouldn't be much incentive for him to stay at home either. His contemplation ended as he felt a chakra source approaching. Haku had a memorable signature. As usual, Shirou's was completely absent.

The door slid open. "Oh, Inoichi-san." The redhead blinked and then did a quick bow. "Are you going to be our team leader?"

"That's right Shirou." The blonde stood up and motioned them to come inside. "The Hokage felt it would be best if you worked with someone you were already familiar with. How are the two of you doing?"

The pair glanced at each other before Haku responded. "Shirou got himself a job cooking ramen. Except it's more like an apprenticeship since they aren't paying him."

"They let me take home leftovers."

"And I'm sure you'll be able to turn them into delicious meals that aren't noodle-based." The one-armed ninja turned her head to speak with her brother. She then faced their new teacher. "Inoichi-san, is there a place we can stay? We're not sure where to find housing."

"Oh?" The Yamanaka stroked his chin. "Where have you been spending the night?"

"We tried renting a room in Naruto's building, but the landlord refused us." Haku let out a sigh. "So we've been sleeping in Naruto's apartment, but I'd really like to find a place of our own."

"Hmmmm... You are a bit old for the orphanage. The Village Hidden in the Leaves doesn't get many visitors." Inoichi looked up and to the side. "There aren't many apartments. Active duty ninja usually reserve the few that do exist. Now that you're officially Leaf genin, you could try Naruto's building again." Haku grimaced. "Or you could stay on the Yamanaka clan grounds. We have a few empty houses at the moment. I'm sure the clan-head will cut you a good deal." The jonin smiled.

"Aren't you the clan head Inoichi-san." Haku narrowed her eyes.

"Why... yes I am!" The jonin chuckled. "We'll see about getting the two of you settled after our assignment. Before that, we should formally introduce ourselves. Our likes, dislikes, and goals for the future. That sort of thing."

"Do we really need to? I mean, Shirou and I already know each other. We've also talked with you a lot during our week in the T&I department."

"Humor me." Inoichi already knew a lot about the siblings, but he wanted to know what they wanted. The Torture and Interrogation department didn't care for details like that. Hearing them put their desires into words was a lot more telling than most people would realize. The jonin sat down, and motioned for the teenagers to follow suit.

"Ok." Shirou nodded. He sat rigid in his chair. "I'll start. My name is Shirou Uzumaki. My hobbies include cooking. I like my big sister, and I dislike... well nobody at the moment. I guess... anyone that would try and hurt her." He reached over and gave Haku a squeeze on her shoulder. "My dream is to protect my family."

Inoichi caught a slight blush on the Ice Ninja's face. Shirou really was brazen at times. "Good, good. Now it's your turn Haku."

The black haired girl gave a light-hearted sigh. Her posture was much more relaxed, but still open. "My name is Haku Yuki. My hobbies include medicine and acupuncture. I like Shirou, even if he's embarrassing at times." With that statement, she rolled her eyes. "I dislike Gatou, but he's already dead. I guess my dream is to stop being just a tool. It was Zabuza-sama's last request."

Inoichi raised his eyebrows. That was refreshingly honest of her. "Heh, the two of you really are brother and sister." The jonin shook his head. "I'm impressed that you're so open with one another."

"You'll learn to be open with Shirou too, sensei." Haku retorted. "If you aren't, he'll never stop pestering you."

"Good to know. I guess it's my turn. My name is Inoichi Yamanaka. My hobbies include cultivating flowers. I like my daughter and wife. I dislike people that aren't honest. My dream is for Ino to grow up to be a beautiful and strong shinobi."

"I didn't know you were married, sensei." Shirou spoke up. "I guess it makes sense, since you're the head of your clan."

"You can be head of clan and still be single Shirou." Inoichi laughed. "You just won't stay that way for long!" The jonin motioned to the door. "Shall we go and get our assignment? With any luck we can finish it up by the afternoon. That should give the three of us time to do some house-hunting."

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One month later...

It had been a good month. Shirou had been kept busy, just as he liked it. Between his time doing missions, training his new abilities, and learning the secrets of ramen, there wasn't much room for anything else. He wished he'd spent more time with Naruto, but the blonde Uzumaki also had a full schedule. Haku seemed to enjoy the small house they'd rented. The Yamanaka lands weren't large, but they were nice. The same was true of Shirou and Haku's new house. While it was bigger than the shack they first lived in, the difference wasn't much. It had a small kitchen area and an outdoor bath. Both features were greatly appreciated.

Inoichi was a nice sensei. The jonin hadn't actually taught either of them anything, but he had some good insights. From ways to creatively use and combine techniques to predicting enemy responses, the older blonde's intelligence was obvious. He still seemed amazed at how much Shirou enjoyed D-Rank missions. Shirou, in turn, was surprised that people paid money for them. He would happily do that sort of work for no fee at all. He accepted payment though, he and Haku needed it. Shirou whistled a simple song as they walked over to their new sensei's house.

"You're in a good mood this morning." Haku nudged him with her elbow. "Don't you remember? We're still on sanitation duty."

"I can clean the pipes by myself." Shirou grinned down at his sister. "No need for both of us to get dirty."

Haku rolled her eyes. "And what would I do in the meantime?"

"Whatever sensei does." Shirou shrugged.

Haku darted in front of her brother. She studied his face. "No, there's something different about you this morning."

"Well, I had a really good dream last night." Shirou stopped.

"Oh? Tell me about it." Haku beamed.

"It was about a sword."

"A sword?"

Shirou gestured with his hands. "Yeah, but not just any sword." He closed his eyes, trying to recall everything. "It didn't look like a katana, more exotic, but simpler. It was golden, and just looking at it filled me with calmness." He brought a hand to his chin. "I couldn't grasp it, not really. It was like... it wasn't made by humans."

"Hey!" Haku leaned forward and took his hand in her's. "Where'd you get this mark?"

"I don't know. It was there when I woke up."

"And you didn't say anything?" Haku turned his hand left and right. "It kinda looks like a sword. Is it a seal?"

"I don't think so, or at least I couldn't Trace it. I was going to ask Inoichi-sensei about it."

Haku narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, I think we should. C'mon." She then resumed their trip, but at double the pace. She didn't let go of Shirou's hand, forcing the redhead to trot along behind her.

At their sensei's house, Shirou pulled her back. "Let's wait outside, we're still a bit early."

"Well, alright."

Shirou's thoughts drifted back to his dream, while Haku studied his hand. Before long the elder Yamanaka exited his house.

"Ah, they grow up so quickly..." Inoichi mumbled to himself as he walked towards his students. "Are the two of you ready for today?"

"Yes, Inoichi-sensei" "Yes, Inoichi-san"

"Good! Let's get going."

"Before that," Haku held up her brother's hand. "Something appeared on Shirou during the night."

"Oh?" The Yamanaka leaned forward. "It looks like a seal, not any I've seen before though. How'd you get this Shirou?"

"It was on my hand this morning." The redhead shrugged. "I guess it appeared during the night."

"I'll assume the two of you would notice someone sneaking into your house and placing a seal on Shirou."

Haku gave a stiff nod. "Of course."

"Then I'm not sure." Their teacher held his hand over Shirou's. "There's definitely chakra in it. A lot of it too. It's hard to tell how much, but it feels like your chakra Shirou. Pure Yin."

Haku's shoulder's sagged. "So it did come from Shirou."

"Probably. It might be an aspect of his blood line. Did anything happen last night?"

"I had a good dream."

"About a sword." Haku added.

"Interesting. You should try and access the power inside the seal during your training. I don't think anyone can help you with it unfortunately."

"That's ok, Inoichi-sensei. Haku and I are used to discovering our abilities on our own."

"In a way, the timing of this couldn't be any better." A smile spread across the jonin's face. "I was going to bring this up after the mission, but I guess I can tell you now."

"What is it?"

"The Chunin exams. They're being held in seven days. I recommended you to the Hokage, and he agreed. You have until then to decided if you want to participate."

Shirou looked over at his sister. "What do you think Haku?"

She glanced away. "I'm honored that the village would give us the opportunity to advance so quickly."

"But?"

"But, I'm nervous." The female ninja looked at the ground. "Sensei, do you think I could get a face mask?"

"A face mask?"

"Yeah, a white one." Haku raised her head to look up at Inoichi. "Perhaps with a pattern on it."

"You mean like what the Anbu wear?"

Haku nodded. "Yeah, like those."

"Sorry, those are used to denote a rank. Other people can't wear one." Inoichi gently shook his head. "Especially not with foreign ninja in the village."

"Why not wear a hood like me Haku?" Shirou tilted his head.

"Your black 'ninja-hood'?" Haku inhaled, like she was about to continue, but paused. After a second a wry smile came to her face. "Y'know, yeah, that will do. I can also wear clothing like you do little brother."

Shirou beamed. "Now you'll finally look like a ninja, Haku-nee-chan!"

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Omake:

Shirou stood and watched their new teacher. Danzo had an ink brush and was writing a complex seal on the floor. In the center, Haku was lying on her back. They were told the seal was for their safety, so that if captured they wouldn't be tortured. Shirou wasn't so sure.

"Trace On."

He touched the ink by his feet. It wasn't complete yet, but the intent was there. The seal would paralyze the wearer if they spoke or acted against Danzo. In a way, that would prevent torture. If they were incapable of telling the older ninja's secrets, they'd just be killed instead. But why would he go through so much effort? What secrets did he not trust them with. There were other ways to prevent information from falling into enemy hands. This seal would keep it out of everyone's reach. Including the Hokage. Shirou materialized a bow and arrow. They'd been stripped of all equipment before being brought here. That mattered little to one capable of making any weapon.

"Stop. You are not putting that... thing on my sister." He aimed the arrow at Danzo's chest. He'd seen their teacher's cane. Its history told the Steel Ninja all he needed to know. This was not a nice person. He would never inspire a smile.

Before Shirou could take another breath, a hand was on the arrow. Two ninja appeared out of nowhere. One gripped the projectile, ensuring it wouldn't be used against their leader. The other held a tanto to the redhead's neck.

"Such insubordination." Danzo stood up and walked towards them. "It will not do."

Shirou flooded the arrow with chakra. Too much chakra. The simple wooden vessel couldn't contain the energy he forced into it. For a moment, the arrow vibrated, then it exploded. The blast was small, but knocked down the four ninja. The hand that had been wrapped around the projectile was gone. Two fine mists hung in the air. A red one from the missing hand, and a purple one that Shirou couldn't place. Shirou stood up as he tried to keep the grimace from his face. It was agony, almost as torturous as the burning that using his chakra entailed. More pain than the explosion would've caused. The ninja behind him started to scream. As did Danzo. Purple splotches appeared on both of their bodies. The infected areas grew bigger and bigger. Shirou glanced down. He had the same purple marks. Whatever it was, it hurt.

"Haku." He spoke calmly to his sister. "I think I'm going to die."

"No..." She stood up. Her eyes glistened with unspilt tears.. "You can't die." The female ninja moved towards her brother.

"Stop." He raised a hand. "I'm not sure what's infected me, but it's spreading quickly. Don't get close."

She shook her head. "No. I'll stop it." She raised her hand. "Secret Technique: Demonic Ice."

Shirou could see the frost forming over the infected parts of his body. It wasn't enough. His sister didn't have precise enough control over this jutsu. A scream came from the fallen form of the man who'd tried to brand them. His right arm exploded into a tree. It knocked Shirou down. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't go to his sister. His presence would kill her to. His mind raced. What to do? What was happening? In the end it was too late. The tree kept growing, as the body attached to it succumbed to the nano-sized insects. It brought the entire structure down upon them.

Author's Notes:

The Chunin Exams are next, which raises a question about the second and third parts. Were the matches random, or pre-determined. In a meta sense, they were devised by Kishimoto to advance the plot, but was it that way in-universe?

Part of me thinks that I should just roll some dice to determine who fights who, no matter what it does (or doesn't do) to the plot. It would (probably) avoid canon fights, which wouldn't change enough to really include otherwise. I mean, if a fight went one way in canon there'd have to be a pretty good reason why it doesn't happen the same most of the time.

On the other hand, I can see the officials manipulating the roster. Especially at the end of stage 2. Match up some similar people. Sacrifice Lee to Gaara. Have the two Hyugas fight each other. That kind of stuff. I mean ninjas are tricky, and they'd want to trim the field before showcasing the matches to the public (and other villages). Also, why cut the number of participants at the end of the second test? They could totally hold the third test over more than one day.


	6. The Chunin Exams 1

"Hey, Shirou. Are you ready?" Haku finished adjusting her hood. She thought she did a good job. They really should get a mirror for times like this. She didn't want to waste chakra by making her own.

"Yeah." The redhead was outfitted with a kunai pouch on his right thigh, butterfly swords on his hips, a collapsible bow and quiver on his left thigh, and Kubikiribocho on his back.

Haku turned around and looked over her sibling. "You look like a walking arsenal little bro. You could at least store the butterfly swords in a scroll."

"It feels reassuring to wear them." Shirou ran his hands over the hilts at his waist. "I have lots of stuff already sealed."

"Hm. Makes me want to take up funijutsu, just for the money we'd save."

"If you want explosive notes, I can summon Shibuki."

Haku waved her hand from side to side. "No thanks. Those things are dangerous. I was thinking about sealing scrolls."

"They sure are handy. You ready sis?"

"Yep. Inoichi-san said to turn our papers in by 4pm today right?"

"Yeah. It's barely dawn, do you think we should go already?"

Haku frowned. "He did say 'Don't take anything at face value'. Getting to the room might take more time than we're expecting. Did you pack some food?"

"Six meals, and ingredients to make more."

"That should be enough, why don't we stop to get breakfast on the way? If we do wind up waiting in 301 for hours, we'll have lunch there. So let's not dip into our rations just yet."

"Sounds good. Ichiraku's?"

Haku shook her head. "Not for breakfast. How about the tea house?"

"That sounds nice and light." Shirou nodded. "Let's go."

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Shirou turned to his big sister. "You know what's nice about having the academy in the administration building?"

"No, what is it?" Haku glanced at Shirou.

"There aren't any other places that have a third floor. So we don't have worry about going to the wrong building."

"Hmm. That doesn't mean there isn't another building with a room '301'." The female ninja stroked her chin. "There are tall buildings, like Naruto's apartment. If we aren't limited to official ninja buildings we may have to scour the village." She then let out a soft chuckle. "Good thing we got a head start."

Shirou nodded. "Yep. I'm glad we had breakfast though. It was relaxing."

"Yes, the green tea was particularly fragrant."

They turned around a corner. Down the hallway there were a pair of ninjas standing in front of six others. They had imposed themselves in front of the entrance to room 301. Shirou instantly grasped one of the blocking ninja's kunai-like swords. "Those aren't genin."

"Oh?"

"The one on the right is Kotetsu Hagane. He's used those swords for nine years. They've seen a lot of action. Too much for a genin." Shirou rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, it's longer than we've been ninja. That's too long. Right?"

"I don't know. I hear a lot of people don't ever make it to chunin. Still, it doesn't match with the guy's age. He looks younger than us."

"A transformation? Let me check. Trace On." Shirou reinforced his eyesight, and focused on the two genin's faces. "They don't have any blemishes. All their follicles are uniform in length and spacing. Except for the larger, visible ones of course."

"Of course."

"Yeah, definitely a transformation."

"Anything else Shirou?"

"The sign above them. The edges of it are a few micrometers off."

"So an illusion. This was the first test."

"Yeah, seems kinda stupid. We aren't even on the third floor yet."

"Oh, you noticed that genjutsu too?"

"There was a genjutsu?" Shirou looked puzzled.

"Yeah, an area of effect one, on the stairs. It was weak, so it only could produce a subtle change."

"Like making someone forget what floor they were on."

"Yeah. Looks like Inoichi-san was right. We can't take anything at face value. C'mon Shirou. Let's ignore them."

"Right."

Shirou and Haku walked past the crowd. Perhaps it was because they were older than a typical genin. It might have been because there were only two of them. It was also possible that direct confrontation wasn't the two genin's job. For whatever reason, they were able to continue on without any sort of incident or challenge. At the end of a hallway on the next floor, they found room 301.

"This one check out?" Haku asked.

"I can't see any discrepancies."

"So it's probably THE room 301. Let's see if it's where we're supposed to meet."

The doors swung open easily. There were already three people inside the room. A boy dressed all in black, with a hood that poked up reminiscent of ears. He wore kabuki paint on his face, and had a bandaged form on his back. Shirou appreciated his clothing choices. On the other side was a female ninja. Her sandy blonde hair was done up in four pigtails, and she wore a large fan on her back. Shirou grasped the weapon. It was mainly used for enhancing wind jutsu, and occasionally for blocking. The third figure stood in the center of the group. He had bright red hair, which offset the black circles around his green eyes. The kanji for 'love' stood out on his left temple. He bore no visible weapons. He did have a large gourd strapped to his back. All three wore head guards that indicated they were from the Village Hidden in the Sand.

"The one in the center looks nice." Shirou whispered to Haku. "He seems interested in love."

"I'm not so sure about that, brother." Haku's eyes narrowed. "Something feels.. off about him."

Shirou approached the trio. He faced the short boy with the gourd. "Hello. I'm sorry if this is rude, but are you an Uzumaki?" Various looks of incredulousness appeared on the trio of ninja. "I only ask because of your hair. I'm told most Uzumakis have red coloring."

"My name is Gaara of the Desert." The boy replied. "I am not an 'Uzumaki'." Bloodlust began to emanate from the non-Uzumaki. Shirou ignored it as usual. What did it matter if someone wanted to kill him?

"Nice to meet you Gaara." Shirou gave a slight bow. "I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"Wait." The shorter redhead spoke. Shirou had turned to go, but stopped. "Where's your third member? How did you get in with only the two of you?"

Shirou tilted his head. "There's always been just me and Haku."

"So you can have a team with only two people?" The bloodlust intensified. "Could you also have a team with only one?"

"Whoa, whoa, Gaara." The black-clad boy raised his hands. "Don't get any ideas ok? We're a team right?"

"Yeah, listen to Kankuro." There was panic in the fan-wielder's voice. "They probably have an exception or something. Right?" The last word was said more like a plea than a question.

Haku walked up to stand beside her brother. "We have special permission from the Hokage. We were allowed to participate together."

"See? See? They have special permission." The sandy haired girl now wore a desperate smile.

The bloodlust began to fade. "I see." Gaara then turned to stare out the window. He was apparently finished with the conversation.

"Thanks for your timely explanation." The female Sand ninja whispered to Haku. "My name's Temari."

"I'm Haku." The Ice ninja nodded her head. "Please forgive my brother. He's taken an interest in finding more of his clanmates lately. I think with all the foreign ninja here, he's hoping that there are some Uzumakis are among them."

"Oh! You're brother and sister too? What a coincidence!" Temari's face brightened. She then looked over at Kankuro and Gaara. With that, her expression became more controlled. "We probably shouldn't talk. We're competitors after all."

"You're right." Haku motioned to the other corner of the room, away from the entrance. "Let's go sit down, Shirou."

"Huh? Oh, ok Haku." Shirou was a little disappointed that Gaara wasn't an Uzumaki. Red hair might not be the best deciding factor after all. The only other Uzumaki he knew was blonde. He and Haku claimed a table and sat down on top of it. They didn't use the chairs since that would leave their backs to the door. "I guess we wait now, huh?"

"I guess so."

Five hours in, and Shirou was starting to get boarded. He was glad he packed food. Eating had been a welcome relief from both hunger and tedium. The first three hours they had shared the room with only the Sand siblings. The trio hadn't made any attempts at socialization. It was only after two in the afternoon that other ninja started to arrive. Either the trap on the second floor was getting more ninja, or most of their competitors hadn't started quite so early. Shirou kept a lookout for Naruto - and other redheads. His cousin hadn't shown up yet, but three more flame haired ninjas had. Haku forbade him from talking with them and giving up their corner position.

It was ten minutes until four, and there was still no sign of Naruto. "Do you think they're coming?" Shirou turned to his sister.

"I'm sure they're fine." The doors opened, and Haku motioned with her arm. "See? There they are now."

Sure enough, Naruto entered with Sasuke and Sakura at his sides. Shirou breathed a sigh of relief and started to make his way though the crowd. As soon as they had passed though the doorway, the genin trio had been accosted by a blonde girl. Shirou recognized her as Inoichi's daughter. Some other ninjas had also gathered around. The Steel ninja was having a hard time making it through the crowd without jostling anyone. By the time he arrived, the group of rookies had gathered around a silver haired genin. They were looking at some sort of cards.

Shirou's cousin stood away from the group. His head was lowered, and his body trembled. He then raised his head and pointed at the rest of the genin. "MY NAME IS NARUTO UZUMAKI! I WON'T LOSE TO YOU BASTARDS! YOU GOT THAT?!" Naruto shouted at the room in general.

"Well said, cousin." Shirou put his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Cousin?" "Naruto has a cousin?" "Since when?" "Hey, I've never seen that guy before!"

Naruto's hands were on his waist. "Ha ha ha ha! Yeah, I feel a lot better now." He looked at Shirou with a grin that spread from ear to ear.

"Cut the crap Naruto!" A ninja wearing a hood and a dog yelled back. "Since when does a loser like you have a cousin?"

"Heh heh heh" Naruto rubbed the underside of his nose with his finger as he puffed out his chest. "This is my cousin, Shirou Uzumaki! We met a month ago in the Land of Waves."

Shirou bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet all of Naruto's friends. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My sister and I have been busy since coming to the Hidden Leaf." He turned to his blonde cousin. "And sorry for not visiting more."

"Nah, it's ok. I've been super busy with missions and my training too!" Naruto gave Shirou a thumb's up. "Plus, I get to see you at Ichiraku's!"

"Hey! You're dad's genin team!" Ino pointed an accusing finger towards the pair of masked ninja. "Since when are you related to Naruto?"

"Since always. I didn't know you were his friend Yamanaka-san." Shirou nodded his head at the other excitable blonde. "If Haku and I can be of assistance, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Shirou" Haku spoke up from his side. "Don't make promises you can't keep. We don't know what'll happen in the exam, and they're our competition."

"How many times have you failed?" A tall shades-wearing boy to the side spoke up. "Why do I ask? Because you are closer in age to Kabuto than to us."

"Oh, we've never taken the exam before." Shirou waved his hand side to side. "As far as exams go, we're complete rookies." Three blurs jumped out of the crowd of ninja. One threw a pair of kunai towards Kabuto's feet. The front attacker charged the older genin. His arm raised back. A gauntlet filled with holes was revealed from under his sleeves. Shirou had his bow out and an arrow notched. Then he paused. The gauntlet was an interesting weapon, but this was a decidedly non-lethal attack. Shirou lowered his arms. As expected, Kabuto dodged the thrown weapons and the punch. However, he was caught by Dosu's sound waves. The silver haired genin's glasses shattered.

"What's going on? He dodged it... So why did his glasses..." Sasuke exclaimed.

"It probably glanced his nose. That's what you get for acting like a big-shot." One of Naruto's friends with his hair in a spiky ponytail drawled.

"No." Shirou corrected him. "His opponent used soundwaves to shatter his glasses and disrupt his inner ear."

On cue, Kabuto fell to his knees and threw up. Sakura ran over to help him to his feet.

"Oh, so you saw through my technique." Dosu tilted his head as he stared at Shirou. His left eye opened wide. It was the only part of his face that was visible. The rest was covered in bandages. Combined with the fur cape on his back, it gave the ninja a very distinctive look. "Do you think you're a match for me?"

Shirou looked him up and down. "I could defeat you with one arrow." He motioned at the other male Sound ninja. "He would take two. I don't know about your female teammate, since she didn't do anything." He then proceeded to collapse his bow and stow it away.

"Hey!" "Arrogant bastard!"

"Is that so?" Dosu's visible eye narrowed. "I'll make you pay for your cockiness."

Shirou mentally went over what he'd learned about Dosu's fighting style and ability. He used his gauntlet a lot, so there was a good amount of history. "At your level, it's unlikely." The redhead stated as a matter of fact as he crossed his arms. "You're too slow, and your attacks are too limited in scope."

"What?" The sound ninja crouched and prepared to charge.

"Quiet down you worthless bastards!" A cloud of smoke exploded at the front of the classroom. It cleared to reveal a scarred ninja in black standing in front of a group of chunin. "Thanks for waiting... I am Ibiki Morino, the examiner for the chunin exam's first test." He pointed towards the back of the classroom. "Hidden Sound guys, stop doing as you please before the exam. You too Shirou. Don't go advertising your opponent's secrets to the world. Do all of you want to fail already?"

"I apologize. This is our first time... and we got a bit carried away." Dosu turned to address the examiner.

"I also apologize Morino-sama." Shirou gave a small bow. "And you too Dosu-san, I didn't mean to reveal your tricks." The bandaged ninja squinted his visible eye.

"Bah!" From the front Ibiki continued. "Here's a good opportunity to say this. There will be no fighting without the permission of the examiner. Even if permission is granted, killing your opponent will not be tolerated. Those pigs that disobey me will be failed immediately." Bloodlust filled the room. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Hmpf." The silence was broken by the un-bandaged male Sound ninja. "No fatal force? That's no fun."

Ibiki ignored him. "Now if we're ready, we'll proceed to the first stage of the chunin exam. Hand over your paperwork. In return, you'll each be given a number. It will determine where you sit. Once you're all seated, we'll start the written test."

"The what?.." Naruto gulped. "Did he say written?"

Shirou patted his cousin on the back. "Cheer up! It can't be that hard, right?" Since he and Haku were at the back of the room now, they were among the last to get a number. Shirou got 87, near the back. Haku's number was 4, she had to sit on the front row. The chunin that had accompanied the jonin's entrance spread out along the sides of the room. They each sat down in a chair with a notepad.

"Everyone, eyes front." Ibiki tapped a piece of chalk on the board twice. "There are a few rules you need to be aware of, and I won't answer any questions. So you'd better pay attention the first time around! All right. Rule number one is this: The written part of the exam is conducted on a point-reduction system." The examiner wrote down the rule as he said it out loud. "Contrary to what some of you may be used to, you all begin the test with a perfect score of ten points. One point will be deducted for each answer you get wrong. So if you miss three, your final score will be seven. Rule number two: Teams will pass or fail based on the total scores of all their members."

Shirou paused. He and Haku didn't have a third teammate. That meant they were already ten points behind everyone else. They'd both have to get a perfect score. Even then, they'd have fewer points than a team that got seventy percent of the questions right. It would be disappointing to wash out so early, but being a chunin didn't mean that much to him honestly.

"Wait a second! Are you saying we all get scored as a team?" It sounded like Sakura didn't appreciate the rules so far either.

"Silence!" More bloodlust flared from Ibiki. "I have my reasons. So shut up and listen. Rule number three: The sentinels you see positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating. For every incident that they spot, they will subtract two points from the culprit's score. Be warned, their eyes are extremely sharp. If they catch you five times, you'll be dismissed before the tests are even scored. Anyone fool enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels doesn't deserve to be here. If you want to be considered shinobi, then show us what exceptional shinobi you can be."

Shirou leaned back. He'd never taken a written test before. Were they hard? It looked like cheating was out of the question, but how did someone cheat on a written test anyways. He needed to think. Looking at other people's papers seemed like the most straight-foward way to do so. That'd be what they'd look for the most. So he had to keep his eyes on his paper to avoid suspicion. Easy enough. He'd just hunker down and work it out on his own.

"One more thing." Ibiki continued. "If any member gets a zero on his exam, then every member of their team will also be failed. The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period. You'll have one hour total." The clock on the wall ticked for a few seconds. Just as it reached four thirty, Ibiki called out. "Begin!" That was good timing of his speech. Probably why he didn't want to spend any time with questions.

Shirou looked down at the test. The first question was nonsense. The top part said: 'decipher the following'. He didn't have the first idea as to how to do something like that. The next one was a math problem. It was about projectiles. He could tell instantly how hard to throw something, but putting that feeling into numbers? The third question was about foreign relations. Shirou knew a bit about the countries around the Land of Water, but nothing on the political side. The rest of the test was just as impossible. He couldn't even understand what questions eight and nine were asking. Was this what they taught in schools? He'd never been to one. No wonder the Leaf genin were so strong.

What to do? He needed a full ten points. Ibiki said they took off one point for every missed question, and two for every time they caught you cheating. 'Don't take everything at face value.' Did that mean there was a trick here? Was the correct response not to answer any question? The rules didn't say if a skipped question would be counted wrong. If that was the case, then all you had to do was leave your test blank. No, that's too simple. He had to think harder. Shirou reinforced his hearing. The room was quiet. Only six people were writing. That... was odd.

If only six out of more than a hundred candidates were answering the questions... there couldn't possibly be enough people passing. So most people must not know the solutions either. What would they do in that case? They'd cheat, and get caught. No, wait... There were only twelve sentinels... thirteen now. Where'd that one in the corner come from? In any case, they couldn't catch everyone, only the people who cheated the worst. In that case it was simple. Shirou adjusted his hood. By pulling the sides forward to act like a blinder. He couldn't see to the sides, but the proctors couldn't see his eyes. He was now free to spy on anyone in front of him. That included one of the people currently answering. He was six rows ahead, and to the side. The angle granted Shirou access to his paper. With a little chakra applied to his eyes, Shirou could read his answers as if they were in front of him. No problem.

As the test continued, Shirou noticed the same solutions popping up on other tests. People had been called out for cheating five times so far. A surprising low percentage. What was odder was all the activity going on. There appeared to be a thin sheet of ice on the blackboard. It was virtually invisible. Certainly harder to see than the ninja wires that had sprung up towards the ceiling, or the dust that was now floating around. Shirou nodded to himself. It was a test, but a test to see who could cheat the best. He had copied all the answers, but there still were fifteen minutes until the final question. The Steel ninja decided to use the time to go over the questions. With the answers he might be able to work backwards and see how the problems were supposed to be solved.

"All right! Listen up! Here's the tenth and final question." Ibiki called out from the front of the room. "But, before I give you the question, there are some more rules that you need to be aware of."

"Ah." The doors swung open. Kankuro walked in with his extra sentinel. Shirou looked over. That was the thirteenth chunin proctor, his chest wasn't moving. His skin wasn't even skin. Interesting. Suddenly, Shirou grasped Kankuro's puppet. It was a chunin. It wasn't even human. It was a weapon of peerless design.

Before Shirou got distracted, Ibiki continued his speech. "Ah, made it just in time. I hope you found your trip to the bathroom... enlightening." Kankuro stood up a little straighter. "These rules are unique to question ten. Listen carefully, and try not to let them frighten you. Very well then. Rule number one: each of you is free to choose not to be given a final question. It's your decision."

"Whoa, what's the catch?" Temari spoke up. "Let's say we decide we don't want to do it. What happens then?"

"If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine, you'll get a zero." Ibiki smirked. "In other words, you fail. That means, of course, that both your teammates fail as well."

"Why wouldn't we take it?" "Who would choose to fail?" "What kind of a choice is that." A murmur of consent filled the room.

"Not so fast. You didn't let me finish." Ibiki continued. "If you do accept the question, but answer it incorrectly, you will not only fail - You will be barred from taking the chunin exam ever again!"

"Hey, that's bull man. That's ridiculous! What kind of rule is that?!" Naruto's friend with the dog stood up and shouted. "There's lots of people here who've taken the test before!"

Ibiki chuckled. "I guess you're just... unlucky. I wasn't making the rules before, but I am now. Of course if you don't want to take it, then you don't have to. If you aren't feeling confident, then by all means skip it. You can come back and try again next year." He then laughed some more. "Now then, if you're ready. The tenth and final question, those who don't want to take it - raise your hand! Your number will be recorded, and then you'll be free to go."

Shirou looked over at Haku. She just nodded. If anyone got the right answer, they'd both be able to steal it. Shirou had complete confidence in his big sister, and she in him.

"I'm out. That's it. I'm out." The person Shirou had been copying raised his hand. That made no sense, he'd answered quicker than anyone else... unless this was also part of the test. Is the right answer to back down? Was that how you passed? More people raised their hands and walked outside. Shirou shared a puzzled look with Haku.

At the front of the class, Naruto raised his hand. Shirou wasn't surprised, his cousin was smart. He saw through the final question. The blonde Uzumaki slammed the his hand down onto the desk. "Don't underestimate me! I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want, you guys aren't going to scare me off! No WAY! I don't care if I do get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life." Naruto stood up. "I'LL STILL BE HOKAGE SOME DAY!"

Shirou blinked. So staying was the right decision? He trusted Naruto, but this was getting confusing.

Their proctor stared at Naruto, then his eyes swept over the room. "Well then, I admire your determination if nothing else." Ibiki's voice sounded less scary. "For those of you left, there's only one thing left to do." A silence hung in the air. The scarred jonin let it drag on for a few seconds. "That's for me to tell you: that you've all passed the first exam." Ibiki smiled at the group.

"What do you mean we all passed?" Sakura stood up. "Where's the tenth question?"

"There wasn't one, not a written one at least." Ibiki now wore a bigger smile than Shirou had ever seen on the torture expert. The redhead liked it. "Your decision to stay was the correct answer to the tenth question."

Shirou leaned back. Ibiki was explaining the test. It was fascinating. The moral was good. 'Better not to cheat than to cheat clumsily.' Shirou agreed. He was proud that his initial decision had been both right and wrong, but for the correct reasons.

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"Hurry up Kin!" Dosu projected to his teammates. From any other ninja it would've been a yell, but the Village Hidden in the Sound specialized in sonics. Dosu could tighten his voice and send it in a straight line. This jutsu allowed him to talk with Zaku and Kin without giving away their positions. "That arrogant Leaf genin was assigned to gate eighteen. We're only one away. If you move faster, we can kill him quickly."

"Why go out of our way to kill that hooded guy?" Kin retorted, as she ran along side her teammates. "We're supposed to get the Uchiha."

"I'm not going to let the disrespect he showed me slide." Dozu used a shunshin to appear right in front of the female Sound ninja. Kin pulled up short, and nearly let out a yelp. "Besides, his team only has two people. Killing them will be quick and easy. The Uchiha's team might not even have a Heaven Scroll. We'll need one to pass. Two birds with one stone."

"Yeah, it'll be fun." Zaku appeared next to the two of them. "It's also on the way. All those idiots blabbed to themselves behind that curtain. We should be happy they're so stupid. Finding Sasuke in a forest this big would be a pain otherwise."

"Exactly." Dosu stared at Kin. "Sensei also said to wait until morning. We have plenty of time. Detouring will cost us half an hour. At most."

"Fine." Kin tossed her long hair. "If it means that much to you."

"HEY!" This time Dosu did yell. He immediately lowered his voice. Anger was a weapon only usable by the opposition. "You didn't have him going on about your techniques in front of everyone! Saying he could take me out with one arrow..." The bandaged ninja's fist shook. "I won't stand for that."

The rest of their trip was as silent as only Sound ninja could be. The forest held a lot of dangerous animals, and unusual sounds. It was easy to avoid most predators. High in the trees that the Land of Fire was known for, they didn't have to worry about ambushes on the ground.

"Wait." Dosu pulled up short. "There he is." The black-hooded ninja was walking along the forest ground. It was easy to recognize him with all the weapons he carried.

"What an idiot." Zaku snorted. "A bow and three swords! I think he's over-compensating for something."

Kin let out a snicker.

"I can hear you." The Leaf ninja said. He turned his head and looked directly at their hiding place. "Do you want to fight?" He drew his bow and notched an arrow.

"Ha ha ha." Dosu and his two teammates landed on the ground. They squared off thirty yards away from the bow-wielding ninja. "So you have good hearing huh? Where's that other teammate of yours? Seems pretty foolish to split up when there's only two of you."

"Haku can handle herself."

"And what about you?"

"I'm not as good, but I'm more than enough to deal with the likes of you."

Dosu's eye narrowed. He still persisted in in mocking them. "Time to die!" He charged. His gauntlet pulled back, ready to strike. Beside him, Zaku blasted two concussive blasts, while Kin threw a brace of senbon.

The vacuum waves hit first. Shirou didn't flinch. Dosu's eye narrowed as he saw Kin's senbon bounce off of something mid-air. There was some kind of trick. The sound was consistent with.. a flat, smooth surface. The Leaf ninja's voice had come from his image. A clone? No, this was something else. A barrier?

"Trace On." Shirou vanished. No puff of smoke to cover his movements. One second he was there and then he standing to the side twenty feet away. Dosu turned just in time to see him lower his bow. When the Leaf ninja teleported, there was no sound of movement. No rustling of the grass as his weight was lifted from it. So the first image was fake. The Sound ninja's eyes traced the path the arrows would have gone...

"Augh!" Zaku cried out.

Dosu turned. His partner had fletching sticking out of both of his palms. Shirou had shot two arrows? As he looked, Zaku's arms exploded. Most of the pressure went out the front, but there was enough blood to tell just how badly he'd been hurt. The injured ninja collapsed. "Why you!" Dosu charged again, but Shirou evaded him. He was fast, but he wasn't using that trick to seem like he was teleporting. Not like he'd done before. "You're fast, I'll give you that. And your hearing is good. But are you faster than the speed of sound?" Dosu smirked. Hearing was a double-edged sword. He brought up his gauntlet. Sound ninja knew how to deal with ultrasonics. Others didn't have that training. No matter how tough you were, your inner ear was vulnerable. Acute hearing made his attack all the more effective. Shirou stood still. He had an arrow drawn, but made no move to shoot it. "Feeling woozy are you? It's going to get worse." Dosu smirked. He'd won. "C'mon aren't you going to shoot that arrow at me? Afraid you'll miss?" At this range, he could dodge any shot, but he'd prefer for the archer to waste his arrow before he got closer.

"No. I'm just waiting for Haku to finish with your final teammate."

To the side, Kin collapsed. Dosu turned. What had happened? He hadn't heard a thing. The twang of a bow string brought his attention back to Shirou. Dosu's eye widened. An arrow was heading straight at him. He began to move, but his feet were stuck to the ground. A layer of ice covered them! Dosu raised his gauntlet. He'd defect the arrow and shatter the ice with the same move. The deep sound he produced vibrated his bones. The ice cracked. The arrow... slammed into his forearm. "How?"

"I know how you deflect projectiles. You use sound to knock them off course, but you can only amplify their trajectory." Shirou lowered his bow. "If you can't move, you can't turn a hit into a miss." A ringing sounded throughout the clearing. The arrow was vibrating in the hole it'd entered. "By the way, my father had better hearing than you. He taught me how to withstand sonic attacks." A black-clad female landed next to Shirou.

Dosu looked at his arm. Both the arrow and his gauntlet were visibly shaking now. "No!" Realization struck him just before the arrow exploded.

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Karin looked down at the Earth Scroll she held in her shaking hands. She panted while she tried to catch her breath. "Hey! Where are you guys!?" She'd been separated from Shigeri and Arai. They'd made it past the first round, but barely an hour into the second test and they were lost. The Forest of Death was aptly named. There were so many chakra sources. The trees, insects, and animals all had abominably high levels. A low-pitched growl sounded behind her. Karin whirled around. A bear the size of a house stared at her from behind a tree. The redheaded female ninja ran. The bear was too quick. It chased her, and she was too tired to outrun it. Karin found her back against a tree as the predator closed in on her. This was it. This was how she was going to die. Away from her home, or what had passed for it ever since her mother died. Saddled with two useless teammates... Karin had never stood a chance. The bear lunged. Karin fell to the ground. She narrowly avoided the bear's swipe. Now she was prone, and couldn't see a thing. Her glasses had fallen off during her desperate dodge. Avoiding the next attack would take a miracle.

"Lion Combo!" A blur moved around the gigantic animal. There was a crash as the bear collapsed. "You've got an Earth Scroll too, huh?"

Karin looked up. She could sense the chakra of her savior. It was brilliant and bright and perfect. Dazzling. She groped for her glasses. The female Uzumaki found them and put them on just in time to see the ninja that had saved her.

"See ya..." He was a Leaf shinobi. No older than her. And he was so beautiful. Karin felt a flush on her cheeks. The raven-haired boy gave her a crooked smile before he jumped to a tree branch and vanished into the forest.

Karin fingered her Grass head guard. Why weren't there boys like THAT in her village? Instead she was stuck with two losers who might already be dead. Her heart rate was slowing down, as her adrenaline wore off. She had to focus. This was still a deadly situation. Where were the two idiots? She closed her eyes and concentrated on the chakra sources around her. The bear's was faint. It was unconscious, but it's Yang chakra was still very noticeable. Not surprising given its sheer physical size. The Leaf ninja's dazzling chakra was heading to the Northwest. Karin was tempted to follow it, but she could feel Arai's chakra to the Southwest.

With a sigh, she set out to reunite with her wayward teammate. It was slow going, but she soon found Arai in a clearing. "Karin, there you are! Don't go wandering off like that!" The male ninja grimaced. "I need some healing."

"Fine." Karin didn't like it, but it was her role on the team. Scout and medic. Arai had a nasty gash across his abdomen. Karin rolled up her sleeve and brought her right shoulder to the wounded ninja's face. "Ah!" She tried to remain silent as his teeth sank into her flesh. Karin could feel her chakra flowing through the contact. It filled Arai and healed his wounds from within. Once it was done, she pulled away. His bite left another scar on her skin that would never heal.

"Where's Shigeri?" Arai was wiping off his blood with a rag.

Karin closed her eyes, and started to view the world with only her mind. The forest was teaming. The number of overlaying chakra sources reduced her effective range... There! "He's to the West." She grimaced. "About half a kilometer away."

"What? How'd he get so far?"

"I don't know. We need to regroup."

Arai nodded. "Lead the way."

Karin started through the underbrush. She now had a feeling for the differences in the ambient chakra sources. The trees felt passive, but their size tended to mask other signals. Thankfully Shigeri didn't seem to be moving. There were a few animals around him, but none in his direct vicinity. "Wait." She held up a hand. A strong, dark chakra was moving North at an incredible pace. "Someone strong is ahead of us. We should stop and let him pass."

"How strong?"

"At least jonin, judging by his speed. His chakra is tight, like he's pulling it in. Hiding it."

Arai gulped. "All right. I-I could use a breather anyways."

Their break didn't last long, not with the speed of the person they were avoiding. The dark chakra didn't change course. Karin let out the breath she'd been holding. This was so stressful! "Ok, he's past us now."

"Right."

The pair continued their trip. It was slow going, picking through the underbrush. "Shigeri is right ahead."

"Anyone else around."

Karin mentally sorted the signals. "There's a trio to the North. Water natures. I don't recognize them, so they're probably from the Village Hidden in the Rain or the Village Hidden by a Waterfall. There's another... to the south. It's faint. The person is controlling their chakra. It feels cold." Karin expanded her radius. She wanted to check on that boy's position. "The dark chakra! It's to the Northeast. It's larger now, and surrounded by some other sources." Karin trembled. The dazzling boy who'd saved her. He was there.

"Good enough." Arai pulled her arm. "Let's regroup with Shigeri before those three to the North get to him!"

"Ok."

A few minutes later they found their final missing member. The sun was setting, and the light was quickly fading. Karin could sense Shigeri inside a tree. She motioned to Arai. The male ninja cautiously approached and called out. "Shigeri? You in there? It's me man, come on out."

"Arai?" A voice came from a crack in the trunk.

"Yeah, and I found Karin too."

"Oh, thank Kami!" There was some rustling. "Let me come out. I set traps, so just wait a second." A few moments later, Shigeri's dirty blonde hair poked out of the tree. It shook side to side, then the Grass genin's entire head popped out. "I'm so glad to see you guys!" Shigeri pulled himself out of a crack that couldn't have been more than six inches wide. "There were these leeches, and... I'm running on fumes. Karin, give me some chakra."

Karin blinked. "I already healed Arai. I need to rest before I can transfer more."

"Just do it!" Shigeri sneered. "It's all your good for!"

"I..." Karin hung her head. It was why she was a ninja after all. To be used for her chakra until it killed her, like it had her mother. The female ninja balled her fists. Why should she exist as nothing more than a battery for idiots that didn't know how to pace themselves? Behind her a chakra source flared.

"Trace On." It was like a sword drawn from a sheath. The chakra wasn't just muted, it literally hadn't been there a second ago. "Don't move." Behind them a tall boy dressed all in black emerged from the woods. He wore a Leaf head guard over a black hood. The ninja covered them with his held bow as he approached. Two short swords were on his hips, and a large bandaged one was on his back.

"What?" Arai spun around. "Why you..." He reached for his kunai pouch. Before he could draw one, his body jerked back. The Grass ninja was now pinned to the tree next to Shigeri. An arrow protruded from his right shoulder.

Karin spun back. The Sword Ninja had another arrow drawn already. Sword Ninja? There wasn't a better way to describe him. His chakra felt EXACTLY like a sword... somehow. "I..I..." She froze with fear. If she reached for a weapon, she was certain he'd shoot her.

"Hey," The bow-wielding boy asked, in a conversational tone. "What's your name?"

"K, Karin."

"What clan are you from?"

Karin's throat was dry. It was hard to speak. She swallowed. "I'm..." No. This was something she was proud of! She raised her red eyes to stare directly at the golden brown orbs of her opponent. "I'm an Uzumaki, moron!" Karin instantly glanced away. Stupid! Antagonizing someone who could kill you in a second. She felt like that idiot blonde boy from the first test. As if someone could be an Uzumaki and not have red hair.

"Really?" The eagerness of the Sword Ninja's voice took her aback. "You're an Uzumaki?" He lowered his bow, and then stowed it and the arrow he was holding away. He then moved his head guard down around his neck. Next, he pulled back the black hood to reveal a mop of bright red hair. The boy beamed. "My name is Shirou Uzumaki! We're family!"

What?

No, seriously, what?

Uzumaki was a common name. That's why even a random blonde genin of the Leaf could have it. Members of the clan proper were rare. Karin had never met anyone else, aside from her mother. The person standing in front of her had the hair. His chakra was... not strong, but it was unique. "A Sword instead of chains..." She muttered to herself. Yes, she could see it!

"I'm sorry for before." Shirou bowed his head. "Let me help patch up your teammate."

"What?" All three Grass genin responded together.

"Well, I'm not about to fight family." Shirou patted her shoulder as he walked past. "We have to stick together. That includes their friends." The redhead pulled a kunai out of his pouch as he approached Arai. The pinned ninja's eyes grew wide. He tried to kick the Leaf ninja, but Shirou calmly turned to the side to avoid the blow. With one quick slash, he bisected the arrow. "Easy now." With a reassuring tone, he gently pulled Arai off the end of the remaining wood. "Good thing I wasn't using an arrowhead. Hey, Haku-nee-chan, do you want to come out and take a look at him?"

"An older sister?" Karin exclaimed. "Two Uzumaki?"

The cold chakra leapt down from a tree branch. Karin hadn't even noticed it getting closer. A female version of Shirou pulled some bandages from out of her pouch as she approached Arai. Haku was smaller than her brother, and had only one arm. Karin still got the sense that she was still strong.

"Well, there ARE two Uzumaki here in the Village Hidden in the Leaves." Shirou turned to Karin, even as he helped his sister bandage the injured boy. "But Haku isn't one of them. I'm adopted."

"Oh."

Several minutes passed. The Leaf pair pulled out a basic medical kit. They disinfected and bandaged Arai's wound. They even put his arm in a sling. Shigeri had shrunk back into the tree, but eventually creeped out. The odd actions of their former attackers had put all three Grass genin off-balance.

"Hey! You should meet Naruto too!" Shirou stood up and walked over to her. "He's a bit loud, but he's really nice and strong. You might remember him from the first exam."

Naruto? Karin had just been thinking about the obnoxious brat claiming to be from her clan. "You mean that blonde kid? He's actually an Uzumaki?"

Shirou nodded. "Yep. Hey, what scroll do you guys have?"

"Earth..." Karin caught herself too late. She took a step back. So this was it. They were going to take their scroll in return for not killing them. It was a fair deal, but Karin felt betrayed none the less.

"Ok," Shirou opened a pouch on his waste. "Here you go." He took out a scroll and placed in her hands.

Karin looked down at the scroll. Once again, the only thing she could think to say was: "What?"

"It's a Heaven scroll. With that you can pass the second exam. The tower isn't too far, we can go together." The Sword Ninja put his hand to his chin. "Though Haku and I will have to find another Heaven Scroll." His bright eyes came back up and locked with Karin's. "Still, that shouldn't be too hard right?" A smile punctuated his question.

"Shirou." From the side, Haku spoke up. She had finished repacking their first-aid kit. "We can't go with them to the tower."

"Why not?"

"Helping them out with medical treatment and giving them a scroll is one thing." Haku shook her head. "Doing all the work for them is another. It would be unfair to them and the rest of the genin for them to pass the test entirely on someone else's merits."

"Ah, you're right." Shirou turned back to look at Karin. He held up a single hand vertically between them, and bowed a little. "Sorry, but it's probably best if I don't help you more."

"No, no, no." Karin shook her head. "This is all happening so fast, but you've helped us plenty! With two scrolls, all we have to do is get to the tower! We can do that! We don't even have to worry about Arai's wound, since we can just avoid fights from now on!"

Shirou smiled. "I'm glad." He took a step towards her, then paused. "Oh, wait. I should ask first, shouldn't I? Do you mind if I hug you?"

"Uhm..." Karin blushed. "T-That'd be ok."

"Good."

She was then enveloped in Shirou's arms and chakra. It was amazing. His chakra felt so pure. No, it was pure. Complete Yin, not a trace of physical energy. How did that happen? It was protective. A sword that would defend her no matter what. It reminded her of being hugged by her mother. She could feel her eyes tearing up. "Hey, Shirou." A thought came to her. "Naruto, his teammate is that dark-haired boy in blue. The one with the dazzling chakra, right?"

Shirou released her from his hug, but still held her shoulders. His golden eyes locked with hers. "Yeah, his name is Sasuke."

"Well, uhm... I felt this... dark chakra attacking him." Karin focused on the far away energy. "Now, his chakra now feels... darker. It's fluctuating rapidly. I think, I think he might be dying."

"What? What about Naruto?"

"There are two other chakras with him, but I don't know what Naruto's feels like." Karin looked down. "Sorry."

"Which way?" Shirou pulled back on his hood and head guard.

"It's to the Northeast of here." Karin fidgeted. This would upset her teammates... but family came first! "I can show you." Besides it was the least she could do after having them give her a scroll.

Shirou nodded. "Let's go." He turned to look at his sister. "You ready Haku."

"Of course." The female ninja had already stowed away all of the medical supplies. It was impressively fast, considering she only had one arm.

"Ok, follow me." Karin turned to leave. "Arai, Shigeri, I'll be back soon. I promise."

"Hey! You can't just leave us."

"Don't worry." Karin called over her shoulder. "We've got two scrolls now!"

The Grass genins' responses were lost as Shirou scooped her up. "Sorry Karin, but I'm faster." A sword materialized on his back. Karin blinked, it hadn't been there before. It was just like his chakra, hidden and then suddenly drawn. Like the sword it had appeared next to, the new blade was wrapped in bandages. It was shorter and wider, and had two handles. A chakra - cool and clean, but not Shirou's - flowed from it. The blue energy covered the two of them, and Shirou's speed more than doubled. With Karin's directions, the three of them covered the distance to Sasuke (and Naruto) in less than fifteen minutes.

"They're under those roots." Karin pointed at the base of one of the many massive trees surrounding the clearing. It was dark. The moonlight pooled in the center of the open space, the leaves blocking out the rest. Shadows danced around. Flickering in response to her clanmate's blue aura.

"Naruto?" Shirou called out as he lowered his passenger to her feet. "Are you there?"

"Shirou?" A voice called out from the dark. "Is that you?"

"Sakura?" The redhead squinted. "Is everything ok?"

"No, it's not." A girl with long pink hair and a large forehead emerged from the roots. "Sasuke's hurt, and Naruto's unconscious too!"

"What?" Shirou took a step forward. "Let me see."

"Wait!" Sakura cried out. She rushed forward, and kneeled on the ground. "Let me disarm the traps."

Shirou nodded. His fists clenched as he waited for the female ninja to finish. The blue aura that surrounded him faded. Karin could still sense a large quantity of chakra in the sword he'd summoned.

"Ok, I'm done." Sakura stood up. "Is Haku with you? She knows some medical jutsu right?"

At the mention of her name, Haku landed lightly next to her brother. "I know some medicine, but no jutsus."

Shirou shook his head. "Let me see."

Karin followed after the three ninja. Underneath the tree was surprisingly roomy. Two boys were laid out on the ground. Naruto's chakra was warm and bright. It relaxed her, but Karin could sense that it was restrained somehow. In comparison, Sasuke's brilliant chakra was randomly surging. A dark presence within him ebbed and flowed as his chakra did. Shirou moved to the blonde, but Karin tugged on his arm. "Naruto's chakra is stable. Sasuke's is..." She glanced over at his teammate. Sakura was covered in dirt and bruises. She looked on the edge of having a mental breakdown and collapsing from exhaustion. "not." Karin finished her sentence lamely. She didn't want to further upset the other kunochi.

Shirou looked between the two prone ninjas. He closed his eyes. "Right. Sasuke first." He kneeled down next to the Uchiha, and placed his hand on the boy's chest. "Trace On." Karin gasped. Shirou's chakra flowed seamlessly into Sasuke. That required a level of control that no genin should have. With her cousin's chakra acting as a contraster, she could easily make out the dark chakra at Sasuke's neck. "He has a seal on him. The rest of his body is ok, aside from some moderate battle damage." Shirou's chakra moved out of the raven-haired boy's body, and into the dark mass. "The seal... takes his chakra and transforms and stores it. It also allows Sasuke's perceptions to be viewed by someone else. The seal can also release the chakra its stored back into Sasuke's system. Doing so allows the seal to expand." He could tell all that with a touch? Karin's mother said Uzumaki's were seal masters, but she'd never heard of someone this talented.

"Can you remove it?" The hope in Sakura's voice was heartbreaking.

Shirou shook his head. "I can't remove seals, just analyze them." The pink-haired girl's shoulders slumped. The boy tilted his head. "Wait. The seal has a method to remove itself. You don't happen to have some blood or flesh of the person that put it on him?"

Sakura shook her head. "No." The then looked up, her eyes open wide. "Sasuke did burn the guy! His face melted off some. Would burnt flesh work?"

Shirou closed his eyes. He seemed to concentrate on something. "Yes, I think so. It just requires some of the creator's body, or other compatible flesh. The chakra will compensate for a lack of mass, so any bit will do."

"What does the seal do with it?" Haku spoke up from the side.

"It creates a body and then brings Orochimaru's spirit back from the dead."

"Isn't that a bad idea?" Haku narrowed her eyes. "He doesn't sound like the sort of person we want to summon."

"It's designed to revive him, not summon him." Shirou took his hand off of Sasuke's chest, and gently picked up the unconscious boy. "The seal will still remove itself to form the body, but without a soul in the afterlife, it should stop there." The redhead turned to leave. "Sakura, show me where it is. Karin, Haku, would the two of you stay and watch over Naruto?"

"Of course little brother." Haku's gentle voice sounded like she was smiling under her hood. "Just be careful, ok?"

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Orochimaru slipped past the guards around the Kazekage's tent. Things were going smoothly. Itachi's brother had proven skilled enough. If Team Dosu could force him to use the cursed seal, then today would be a total success. The shadow clone he'd left posing as Rasa vanished. It was suitable at maintaining a presence, but not for face to face talks. In order to make certain no Sand ninja grew suspicious of their Kazekage, the Snake jonin had to put in an appearance now and then. Convincing the Leaf to allow a foreign Kaze into their country took a bit of work. Since three of the Kazekage's children were competing, it was allowed. Orochimaru smiled, it would've been much harder to maintain the charade otherwise. He took out Rasa's face from its sealing scroll. A subtle application of chakra grafted it onto his own head. The formal robes and hat lay where the shadow clone had vanished. Orochimaru donned them, and then stepped out of the tent.

"Summon the jonin."

An Anbu emerged from the shadows to carry out the false Kazekage's orders. Orochimaru went back inside. Over the next minute the Sand jonin that had accompanied their genin contingent arrived. There were ten in total. Not many, but enough. Once they had gathered, Orochimaru spoke up. "I'd like a status report on how our operations are going."

"Of course Kazekage-sama." Baki spoke up. He was the most senior jonin.

Orochimaru listened to his report, but something was off. There was a pulling sensation. It was odd, he tried to pinpoint it's source. It was coming from one of his cursed seals. They shouldn't be able to pull him. The connection he had with their hosts allowed him access, not the other way around. One of the benefits of shedding his human form was an increased ability to multi-task. The Snake Sannin focused on each seal in turn, as he continued to listen to the Sand jonin's reports.

There. It was Sasuke's seal. It had felt like a tug on Orochimaru's consciousness. That was impossible. Unless... The former Leaf ninja felt another pull, stronger this time. His vision began to fade, and he was only barely aware of crashing onto the table.

"The Kazekage has collapsed." "Get a medic nin!" "He's not breathing!" "His..his face fell off!"

Orochimaru floated. He couldn't tell how long. The jonin felt like his body was growing. Forming itself from chakra stimulating his cells into rapid duplication. Voices came to ears.

"You did it! Ewww, he's naked."

"Yeah. It didn't work the first time because it wasn't actually his flesh. Good thing he used a summons. Looks like only a few drops of blood were needed."

Orochimaru opened his eyes a crack. He was in a forest. The Forest of Death. Standing over him was that shrill girl on Sasuke's team. Next to her stood a Leaf genin he didn't recognize. Laying beside him on the ground was Sasuke. From what he'd heard, they'd used the cursed seal to summon him. Inconceivable! That was a resort to revive him! Not to summon... Shit. If it could pull his soul from the afterlife, it could easily do so from the same realm. He'd have to fix that, but first he'd deal with these suicidal children. His chakra was low, dangerously low after losing his body and being reborn. The seal was only designed to transfer his consciousness, not his chakra. If he was dead, he wouldn't have any of the later. Best to end this quickly. He flared his killing intent. The girl fell back shaking, but the boy just looked down at him.

The Leaf genin drew the two swords at his sides, and stabbed down as a blue aura surrounded him. The Sannin rolled to the side. The boy was fast. Orochimaru poured more chakra into his killing intent, and focused it solely on the swordsman. His full bloodlust would stop even a jonin in his tracks. The Snake Sannin's smirk turned into a scowl as the boy didn't pause. A flurry of strikes came from every angle.

The immortal jonin dislocated his limbs and poured chakra into his flesh. His body flowed around the swords like water, but the blue aura brushed against him. The impact caused him to stumble back a step. The chakra was dense enough to physically effect him. Orochimaru leapt to the side, giving the genin's swings a wider berth. The hooded ninja was fast, but not agile enough to capitalize on it. The Sannin's plans changed. He couldn't waste time in the forest. His former-apprentice Anko had no doubt alerted that senile Hiruzen by now. The Anbu would be crawling around. A quick cut to his hand, and a use of his summoning tattoo... Orochimaru glanced down. His new body didn't have the snake tattoo. Very well, hand signs it was. While the boy was quick, his skill with his swords was mediocre. He could gain sufficient distance to perform the seals. A medium snake would suffice. A few retreating leaps bought him the time he needed.

"Summoning!" Orochimaru slammed his hand on the ground. A circle of symbols spread out from it, ready to bring forth his ally. Then, something went wrong. A snake didn't appear. Instead the area inside the circle began to glow with a blue light.

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Outside of time exists the Akashic Record. The Root of all things. It stores and archives all possibilities of events - past, present, and future. This is the pure realm that all souls originate from, and where they return to after death. In one universe, an omnipotent container was created as a pathway to connect to the Root. The Greater Grail. A device of unimaginable power.

Ten years ago, a broken man found a boy. Burnt and dying from a great fire that had spread from the Grail itself. That man had rejected the Grail's promises since it had been corrupted by a great evil. He had wanted to save the world, but in the end it was impossible for someone like him. Despair had filled him, until he found a solitary survivor. Using an ancient magic that had been granted to him, he saved the boy. Yet, in a moment of weakness he spoke a wish. A wish that the boy would live in a better world. A world he could save. The Grail heard the wish. While it was damaged, the Grail was not destroyed. It still possessed the power to grant the winner's desires. The malevolent entity that corrupted the vessel still resided within. It twisted the Grail's remaining power to its own ends. The man had rejected it, so it tore away the man's hope. It sent the boy away, to a world that matched the wish. Like a genie from a story, it honored the wording of the request, not the spirit.

The boy was transported to another world, yet a link remained. The Grail retained knowledge of him, and he retained the magical artifact the man had used to save his life. It was this artifact that formed a link to a Heroic Spirit. A figure that had been promised a chance to seek the Grail, no matter when or where it appeared. If possible, she would be one of the seven Servants summoned. The link made the boy was one of another seven. Seven Masters that would participate in the war for the grail. Thus he was granted command sigils. They were both proof that he was one of the seven Masters of the war, and the magical link that would bind him with his Servant. The only other requirement was an opportunity for a summoning. Any magical circle would do. Thus, when one appeared close to the boy, the Grail seized upon it.

The being of pure evil and hatred inside the grail laughed. It despised the world, and everyone in it. Its power over the grail was subtle. It couldn't break the rules that had been made part of the magical vessel. It could, however, interpret them - in certain ways. Summoning villains instead of heroes. Reviving the mortal foe of the broken man. Summoning one of the Servants to a different world, and thus making the ritual of the Holy Grail War impossible to complete. These were all things it was capable of.

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Shirou swung his butterfly swords in sweeping arcs. Orochimaru flowed around them like water. The jonin was impossible to pin down. Hiramekarei's chakra granted him the speed he needed to keep up, but Shirou did not possess the level of skill required to land a blow. If his opponent had a sword, a weapon he could read, it might be another matter. As it was, the Snake Sannin's moves were too unpredictable. To bizarre. The redhead contemplated changing weapons. Zabuza's style might work. Kubikiribocho's increased reach might allow him to land a blow.

"Summoning!"

Orochimaru slammed his hand into the ground. What would come to his call? Shirou didn't know. From what Sakura had said, it would probably a snake. Whatever it was, it would slow the Steel ninja down. That would allow the Sannin access to Sakura and Sasuke. Shirou couldn't let that happen. He prepared to summon another sword, but stopped. The circle was glowing. Summons didn't do that. Right? From the pool of light a petite blonde woman appeared. She was dressed in a blue dress, but also wore silver armor. Shirou couldn't take his eyes off her.

The young-looking girl shot forward. It was too quick for Shirou to follow, even with his reinforced eyes. She swung her arms, and Orochimaru was cleanly bisected at the waist. She held something in her hands. It must be a weapon, but Shirou couldn't be sure. Whatever it was, it was completely invisible.

The girl turned to him and spoke. "Servant Saber. Upon your summoning, I have come forth. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

Author's Notes:

Just in case the grail section wasn't specific enough. Saber is the exception, not the rule. There is no Holy Grail War going on in the elemental nations. Instead, the one in Fuyuki City is missing one of it's participants.


	7. The Chunin Exams 2

"Servant Saber. Upon your summoning, I have come forth. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

"M-Master?" Shirou stammered out the word. What was this girl, this insanely strong girl standing in front of him asking? He could feel her chakra. The only other time he'd sensed such power was when Naruto defeated him.

"Servant Saber. Upon your summoning, I have come forth." She repeated herself. "Master, your orders." The seal on Shirou's hand ached. When he didn't reply, she continued. "From now on, you will have my sword, and your destiny shall be mine. This completes our pact."

To the side there was a rustling. Orochimaru's body twitched. Dozens of snakes started crawling out from his two halves. The reptiles slithered past each other. The bisected body began to pull itself together. Saber glanced over her shoulder. "I'm sorry Master. I appear to have failed to slay your attacker." She dropped into a combat stance, with her invisible weapon held low and behind her. She didn't move until the Snake ninja's body had repaired itself, and he stood up.

Saber charged. She was a blur of speed Shirou couldn't follow. Orochimaru was struck, but his body turned into a log. Saber paused, and then took off towards a tree. The gigantic plant was cut in two. The Sannin dodged out from behind it. Saber pursued. A second Orochimaru emerged from behind a different tree. He raced through hand signs. A blade of wind cut towards the blue-clad girl. Before it struck her, it shattered against a bubble that briefly appeared. Saber didn't stop her relentless attacks on her first target. Orochimaru stretched and twisted out of the way, but cut after cut appeared on his body. Saber's attacks intensified, and the cuts became deeper. The Sannin lost a hand. Snakes moved to rejoin the appendage to his body. Before they could, another slash cut then as well.

Shirou stared with his mouth open. He was sure this wasn't part of the test. Whatever this was. These two opponents were beyond him. They were beyond Zabuza. They were of a caliber that he didn't realize existed. The second Orochimaru began to go through hand signs again. This time, he was looking at the prone form of Sasuke. Sakura had run over to the unconscious boy, and was cradling his head in her lap. A blade of wind formed. Shirou, still enhanced by Hiramekarei's chakra raced to interpose himself. He dropped his butterfly swords and drew Kubikiribocho. He could use the size of his sensei's blade to act as a shield. The wind bore down on him. Condensed to the point where it was visible to the naked eye, if you could track its speed. The redhead didn't know if his sword would hold, or if it would shield Sakura and Sasuke enough. Just before the attack landed, Saber moved to stand in front of him. The bubble appeared again, and the wind jutsu dissipated. Saber charged. The second Orochimaru vanished in a puff of smoke as her invisible sword cut through him.

The sudden silence was in stark contrast to the flurry of activity. The armored girl glanced left and right. Shirou didn't dare breath. The seconds stretched onwards until the summoned girl stood up straight. Shirou and Sakura both exhaled.

"I'm sorry Master. The real one escaped." Saber turned towards the group of teenagers. "If my first strike had been more telling, this wouldn't have happened."

"What do you mean by 'Master'?" Shirou hefted Kubikiribocho. His other sword's chakra was starting to run out, but he didn't want to dismiss its aura. If his savior turned on him, it would be the only thing that might let him delay her long enough for Sakura to escape with Sasuke. His own chakra was running low. Hiramekarei was the hardest sword to summon, and he'd done so twice today. "Who are you?"

The blonde girl walked forward and stood in front of Shirou. "What do you mean? I am Servant Saber." She replied in a calm, quiet voice. "You summoned me, so you should already know it."

"Servant Saber?"

"Yes, but you can address me as 'Saber'."

"Thank you for your help, Saber." Shirou's aura flickered away as the last of the chakra stored in Hiramekarei was used up. He didn't dare take his eyes off the woman standing in front of him. "Are you a jonin of the Hidden Leaf?"

"No. Why would you think a Servant is a high ninja?" Her body remained motionless. She didn't even shake her head while replying. Saber waited for a response. After a few seconds of not getting one, she continued. "I see." The girl said without changing her expression. "You are not a formal Master."

"Uhm..."

"Still, you are my Master. As long as we have made a contract, I will not betray you. There is no need for you to be so cautious. You may put away your sword." Saber's voice was a monotone. She didn't seem threatened by the greatsword in the slightest.

The decapitating sword was still wrapped in bandages, so it didn't look as threatening. Still, to dismiss a weapon of its size... No, Zabuza's weapon wasn't a threat to her. Shirou lowered Kubikiribocho. "So I summoned you?"

"That is correct Master."

"You can call me Shirou." The Sword ninja averted his gaze. Was this what having a summoning contract was like? Being called 'Master' all the time? "I wonder," Shirou placed his sword on his back. "if this is why I couldn't sign the Mole contract. Did I already have a contract with you? From before Haku saved me?"

Saber blinked. "Our contract was formed just now with the summons. The proof is on your left hand."

Shirou looked down at the seal. "But I got this a week ago, and you didn't appear then." His brow furrowed, as he studied the seal. "What is it?"

"It is a Command Spell, Shirou. It is our link, and what allows you to issue an unrefusable command three times. It is capable of many things, even twisting space. Please do not use it recklessly. When the final command is issued, our contract will cease."

Shirou looked up and narrowed his eyes. "What animal are you? You look human."

"I am neither an animal nor a human. I am a Servant." Saber's blue eyes softened a little. "In life I was human, if that's what you're asking."

'In life'? Did that mean she wasn't alive anymore? "I didn't know you could summon humans. Or I guess 'Servants'." Shirou's eyes opened wide. "Sasuke! Sakura!" He spun around. The other two Leaf genin were still on the ground. The wind jutsu hadn't reached them. Saber had blocked it completely. "Sakura, are you ok? What about Sasuke?"

The pinkette glanced up at Shirou. His words shook her out of her trance. "What? Oh, Sasuke is fine. He's breathing normally now. The seal is gone." The girl looked up at Saber. "How did you summon someone with so much chakra. It's like a physical pressure from her."

"I'm not sure myself." Shirou looked over at the armored girl. "Are you a samurai? Or I guess I should ask if you were a samurai in life?"

Saber shook her head. "I was a 'Knight'." The last word was from a foreign language.

"What's that?" Shirou raised an eyebrow.

"I guess in your culture the closest comparison would be a samurai." Saber continued impassively. "I should not discuss my history. Especially in front of other people."

"Oh, ok. I guess?" Shirou turned and gently picked up Sasuke. "We need to get back to Naruto and Haku."

Saber trailed him. Sakura let out a small eep and moved to keep the black-clad ninja between the two of them. "Master, or Shirou, what are we doing?"

Shirou replied without looking back. "We're in the middle of the Chunin Exams."

"The Chunin Exams..." Saber raised an armored hand to her chin. "So you are a genin. Of the Village Hidden in the Leaves?"

"That's right."

"How odd. The world has greatly changed. Magic is so widespread. I wonder if my legend even still exists."

"Your legend?"

"That which granted me my contract with the World. How I am able to be a Servant and seek the Holy Grail. It's worrisome. A Servant's power is based on how well known they are. The world has changed so much, I may have been forgotten." Saber lowered her arm and nodded her head. "Still, it could be considered an advantage. My parameters may have been decreased, but no one will be able to predict my Noble Phantasm."

"Servant, Holy Grail, Noble Phantasm?" Shirou turned to look at Saber. "Once the exams are over, I think we're going to have a lot to talk about. Right now, I need to get back and check on Naruto."

"As you say, Shirou."

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Karin sat down next to Naruto. The unconscious boy looked young. His orange jumpsuit was too big for him. It gave him a lanky feel. "Hey, Haku." Karin swallowed as the masked ninja turned to look at her. "Shirou said he was adopted. So he doesn't have any immediate family right?"

Haku closed her eyes and nodded. "That's correct. I found him when we both were young. My sensei decided to take him in."

Karin looked back down at Naruto. "He also said there were two Uzumaki in the Leaf. The second is Naruto." She motioned to the unconcious boy. "Does that mean his parents are dead?"

"I don't know." Haku's voice softened a bit. "He lives on his own, and judging by the conditions of his apartment he hasn't had a caretaker in quite some time. Shirou tried asking him about it before, but Naruto brushed him off." The one-armed ninja shook her head. "He has either lost his parents, or never knew them. Either way, I'm sure it must be a painful memory for him."

"I wonder which is worse..." The redhead stared at her cousin. "Not having a parent, or knowing what you've lost."

The pair sat in silence for a while. The only sound was Naruto's breathing.

"Is he really an Uzumaki?" Karin mumbled to herself.

"I've been with Shirou for nearly his entire life. He doesn't have any memories of his childhood, so we can't be certain." Haku moved to sit next to Karin. "Still, our teacher thought he was. Zabuza-sama was strong and knowledgeable. If he thought Shirou was an Uzumaki, then I'm inclined to agree."

"Oh." The Grass genin shook her head. "I'm sure Shirou is too. I was thinking about Naruto. My mother always told me that my clan was famous for three things." Karin raised the fingers on her right hand as she listed her clan's traits. "We have red hair. We have strong life-force. We were good at sealing." She let out a sigh. "I'd like to find more Uzumaki, but Naruto doesn't seem to fit. His hair is all wrong. His chakra is strong though." Karin raised her red eyes to look at Haku. "Is he good at sealing?"

"Not that I know of, but he is only a genin." The Ice ninja let out a chuckle. "Not everyone can be as gifted as Shirou. While my little brother has his faults, his ability to analyze seals is beyond anything I'd ever heard of."

"Exactly! So if Naruto can't." Karin's voice grew quieter. "Does that mean he's not really family?"

"Let me ask you, are you talented at sealing?"

"What? No. Not really. I mean, that stuff is hard."

"So why would you expect Naruto to be?" Haku leaned back. "Trust me when I say that Shirou is the exception not the rule."

"But his hair..."

"Karin, while my brother accepted Naruto at his word, I was like you."

"You were?"

"Of course." Haku turned to look at the other girl. "Shirou and I only came to the Hidden Leaf a short time ago. Before then we were village-less ninja."

"You were?" The redhead repeated herself.

"Yes. It's been... nice here." Haku stood up and turned her back to the other occupants of the wooden cave. "I didn't voice my questions to Shirou. Once he sets his mind to something, he doesn't change it easily. I'm not like that. I felt I had to question some other people."

"And?" Karin leaned forward.

Haku glanced over her shoulder before continuing to gaze out towards the forest. "His teammates believe him. They see no reason for someone to lie about that. The Uzumaki used to be a prominent clan, with ties to the Leaf." Haku let out a huff. "Time erases all things. The name has little recognition with the youngest generations."

"That's not really proof." Karin grumbled.

"But it means Naruto would be unlikely to lie about it." Haku gently shook her head. "If you knew his personality, you'd know that Naruto is guileless with regard to other people. At least in terms of lying about himself to gain favor." The Ice ninja let out a short giggle. "It's another trait that he and Shirou share."

"Ok, I get that they're both honest." The redhead flopped onto her back. "I like that, but it doesn't exactly make him a good ninja. Or an Uzumaki."

"Think deeper." Haku glanced at the foreign ninja again. "Where would Naruto get the idea of what his last name was?"

"From...his parents? So he did know them!"

Haku shook her head. "No, he never did."

"So where then!" Karin sat up straight and balled her fists in her lap.

"From the Hokage himself."

"What?"

"Yes. Naruto's sensei told me... after a day and a half of tracking him down and waiting." Haku grumbled. "He said he wouldn't talk about Naruto's parents, but that the Hokage knew them and that it was where he got his name from."

"Oh." Karin blinked several times.

"In the end, there's no more proof of his genealogy than what you or Shirou possess." Haku continued over a small 'Hey!' from Kain. "I think logically that he's far more likely to be an Uzumaki than not. Also, more importantly." The Ice ninja brought her hand to her chest. "It feels right to me. She turned and looked at the redhead. In the end that's all that matters. Don't you agree?"

Karin stared at the unconscious boy. Now that Naruto wasn't yelling, or making a fool of himself, he did seem... nice. His chakra felt pleasant, and it did remind Karin of her mother. It wasn't hanging on out of desperation if there really was evidence of him being family. Right? The Hokage even vouched for him... in a round about way. Shirou believed in him. The Sword ninja had shown her more caring and compassion in the short time she'd known him than she'd ever gotten in the Hidden Grass. He treated her like family, instead of a chakra battery. A minute passed before the redhead replied. "Yeah, that's all that matters." Karin could only really trust one thing, the way she could sense chakra. It was her one great talent. If she couldn't rely on it, then she had nothing. Her mind's eye was telling her that Naruto was family. His chakra... so bright and warm. It felt even more familiar than Shirou's. Karin sat for a while, taking everything in. "Hey, Haku. All that investigating Naruto's name. You did that for Shirou right?"

Haku nodded. "We're family. We each protect one another in our own way."

"Heh. That sounds nice."

The two ninjas sat in silence. Haku scanned the outside area, while Karin focused on feeling Sasuke's chakra. It had stopped moving. Shirou and Sakura must have reached the area where the fight had taken place. The Uchiha's energy was still flickering. The dark chakra grew with each passing moment. Karin let out a gasp.

"What is it?"

"They've succeeded! The dark chakra is being pulled out of Sasuke." Karin sat with her eyes closed. It helped her focus on feeling chakra, but was dangerous to do around other people. She rationalized it by thinking Haku wouldn't hurt her. If the Leaf ninja wanted to, Karin couldn't do much about it anyways. "Wait. It's growing."

"What is?"

"The dark chakra. It's getting stronger!" Karin frowned. "Shirou has summoned the chakra from his sword again. They're... they're fighting!"

"What!" Haku spun around. "Which way!"

Karin opened her eyes. "It's to the North, about..." She fell backwards and let out a small 'Eep!' "Something... Something..."

"What is it?!" Haku rushed over to her, and grasped her left arm. "What's going on!?"

Karin gulped. "A new chakra appeared. It's... gigantic. I've never sensed anything like it." Her eyes glazed over. "It's huge, but it feels so... nice!" It was a radiance that out shown the entire forest.

"I can feel it." Haku vanished. Snowflakes swirled in the wake of her shunshin.

Karin didn't notice. She focused solely on the noble chakra. It was huge. A thousand times as strong as a jonin at least. Despite that, it wasn't oppressive. "It feels like a hand, reaching to help you up. Haku, it's amazing." Karin opened her eyes and looked around. "Haku? Where are you?"

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Saber followed her Master. She kept a stoic expression, as fitted a knight, but her thoughts raced in her head. The Holy Grail had imparted upon her information and details of the world she now resided in. It was even stranger than the first time she'd been summoned. It was as if the Age of Heroes had come around again. Or she may be in a world where it never ended. The more she thought, the surer she was this was an entirely different reality. The countries didn't match any she knew. Magecraft was commonplace, but was called 'Jutsus'. She was sure she didn't exist in the past of this universe. It seemed unlikely that she was from the future either. So how had the Grail brought her here?

The Holy Grail had the power to cross realities. At it's core, it was a gateway to every location and time. In other words it was a portal to the Root. Limitless possibilities. She didn't know how she knew this. It was instinctive knowledge. Imparted as part of being summoned as a Servant. The same as what let her speak the language and understand the culture of where she was summoned. All Servants grasped the Grail's potential. It promised them their deepest wish to compel them to fight.

The 'How' wasn't what concerned her. Mages, or she guessed Ninja, could accomplish phenomenal feats without the Grail's help. Rather, it was the 'Why'. Her first summoning had been in response to Avalon, her sheath. The link she had with that had overridden the compatibility with her first Master. Shirou hadn't planned to summon anyone, so why had the Grail chosen her? How had it decided on this summoner? They didn't share a history. Shirou couldn't possibly have heard of 'King Arthur' before. No one in this world should have.

It didn't matter.

Saber shook her head. She was a knight, a Servant. She wasn't a human now anymore than she'd been in life. Her duty was to be her Master's sword. Even if she wasn't promised the Grail - a chance to save her kingdom if she won - she would still fight for Shirou. Being a knight. Serving people. Forsaking herself. These were the ideals she had devoted herself to. They were how she lived her life. In the end, as she stood dying on that hill of swords, they were all she had left.

A bubble of energy briefly surrounded Saber. Someone had tried to perform magic on her. "Master, beware!" With a thought, Excalibur was in her hands. Winds twisted around it, hiding it from sight. Small metallic spikes came from the side. The Servant of the Sword shifted slightly. The senbon bounced harmlessly off her armor.

A black-clad ninja with only one arm appeared in the middle of the party in a swirl of snowflakes. "Shirou! Run! I'll hold her back!"

"Master, stand back. I'll handle this!" Saber adjusted her stance. A burst of prana would close the distance between her and this new opponent. She would land a killing strike before the assailant could respond.

"Stop!" Shirou's voice rung out. He had turned around. Sasuke's unconscious body swung in his arms. "Saber! Don't attack." He turned to the one-armed ninja. "Haku," His voice softened. "It's ok." He nodded towards the blonde girl. "Saber is my summons." A glare from the knight's blue eyes made him take a half step back. "Er, I mean, she's my Servant."

Saber nodded and stood upright. "Indeed. Using the correct title is a sign of respect, Master."

"I told you to call me 'Shirou'."

"As you wish, Shirou."

"Shirou, what do you mean 'you summoned her'?" Haku stepped backwards towards her brother.

"Consuming the seal on Sasuke got rid of it, but it summoned Orochimaru."

"I thought it was supposed to revive him?"

"That was it's purpose, but I guess it switched to summoning him since he wasn't dead."

"And her?" Haku hadn't taken her eyes off of Saber.

"Orochimaru tried to summon something, but she came out instead." Shirou took a step forward and nudged his sister. "It's ok Haku. She's really strong and she helped us. Orochimaru would've probably killed all of us if she wasn't there."

"Ok, if you say so..." Haku reluctantly stowed away the senbon in her hands. "We should head back, I left Naruto and Karin alone."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Saber," Shirou turned to address the Servant. "This is my sister, Haku. Please treat her as you would me."

"I understand, Shirou."

Saber looked at the pair of ninja. Brother and sister. How odd. Still, it wasn't her place to question her Master. The Grail may be her goal, but walking the path of a knight was its own reward. As the procession continued, Saber noticed that Haku had the opposite reaction to her presence than the other female ninja had. Sakura had used Shirou as a barrier. Haku positioned herself between her brother and his Servant. That wouldn't do. It was Saber's duty to protect Shirou.

"Haku." Saber kept her voice calm. "Your efforts to protect your brother are admirable, but they will interfere with my duties."

"That's kind of the point." Haku didn't look back. "You should stay away from Shirou. I'm all he needs."

"There will be opponents that he will face that only I am capable of defeating. Do not let your pride blind you to reality."

"Oh, and we're supposed to trust someone who just appeared." Haku turned to look at the Servant. "You're a summons, you'll disappear soon enough."

"I am a Servant." Saber quietly replied. She would not rise to the other girl's bait. "I will exist for the duration of the War."

"What war?" Shirou asked from the front of the group.

"The Holy Grail War, Shirou." Saber replied. "The Grail is both what summoned me, and what the Masters and Servants seek. It is an artifact that can grant any wish."

"So that's why you're here. To find something you want." Haku retorted icily. "You don't care about Shirou."

Saber took a deep breath. "Shirou is my Master. I will follow his orders and defend his life. Even if he doesn't want to seek the Grail, other Masters will confront him."

"I don't think there's a war going on Saber." Shirou spoke up. "The third Shinobi War ended a while ago."

"The Holy Grail War is between only seven masters with seven Servants. While it is on a lower scale than a real war, the power of Servants makes it potentially just as devastating."

"So there are six more... Servants like you?" Sakura turned from to her head to look at the blonde girl.

"Yes, or there will be. Servants can be summoned well in advance of the war."

"How were you summoned?" Haku now sounded curious. "Summonings are fueled with chakra. The larger the summons, the more it takes."

"I am not a 'Summons', I am a Servant." Saber closed her eyes. "You are correct about the power involved. A Servant's form requires a sizable upkeep. The Grail helps sustain my body, it would be too much for a single... summoner to manage. It is the duty of the Master to replenish my... chakra used in combat."

"What if I don't want to fight in a War, low scale or otherwise?" Shirou tilted his head to the side.

"Even if do not wish it, it may come for you all the same. I will remain by your side as long as you possess the command seals. It is my duty." Saber opened her eyes. "Even if another Servant never shows up, I will not break our contract. Even if obtaining the Holy Grail is impossible, I will stand by your side. This is the oath I made as a... samurai when I arrived. My honor and pride is more important than anything else." Actually, her country was most important, but Saber couldn't bring it up. When the Grail appeared, if Shirou didn't choose to fight in the war... she didn't know what she'd do. Torn between ideals, Saber prayed it didn't come to that.

"Well, what do you think Haku?" Shirou smiled under his hood. "Do you trust her now?"

"No." Haku raised her chin. "But, I'll accept her presence for now. One rule." The Ice ninja turned to look at Saber. "She shouldn't interfere with the test. Protecting your life, or defending you from other... Servants is one thing. We need to pass the exams on our own merits or it'll be meaningless."

"I understand." Saber resisted the urge to smile. "I will not tread on your pride. I will raise my sword to defend Shirou's life, but if he is not in mortal danger I will stand down." Haku did not like her, that much was obvious. Saber didn't feel the same. The one-armed girl had a strong sense of pride and duty. She would've made a fine Knight of the Round Table.

The group walked in silence for a few minutes. Their pace was slow. The terrain was rugged, and the huge trees made going in a straight line impossible. They had just entered a clearing like any of the other dozen they'd passed though, when the ninjas headed directly for a tree. Ducking under the roots, Saber saw two more people. A blonde boy dressed in bright orange, who was laying on the ground, and a female with red hair. The girl's red eyes were as wide as saucers. She stared directly at Saber and didn't make a sound.

"Hey Karin, we're back." Shirou laid Sasuke down next to the other boy. "I'm going to look at Naruto now." The redhead didn't wait for a reply. He stood up and moved to the side before kneeling again. The masked boy placed his hand on the orange-clad ninja. "Trace On." Shirou's eyes closed and his brow creased. "He's perfectly healthy, I can't see any problem with him physically. There's a seal on his stomach, I'm going..."

Saber's Master stopped talking as he slumped forward.

"Shirou!" "Master!" "Brother!" A chorus of voices sounded.

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Shirou blinked.

He was laying on the ground. An overcast sky loomed above him. All the trees were gone. His eyes focused on a snowflake, one of many. A soft flurry was falling from the sky. The redhead propped himself up with his elbows. He was on a small hill. Countless kunai were embedded in the ground around him. Ten feet away there was a cage. Out in the distance he saw a colossal tori. It had the symbol for 'Earth' emblazoned upon it.

Shirou clambered to his feet, then turned around in circles. This place was difficult to take in. The Earth Tori was one of five. Four others with the symbols for 'Fire', 'Water', 'Metal', and 'Wood' were equally spaced around the field. Beyond the gates, Shirou couldn't make out anything. Even with his reinforced eyesight, all he could see was a blank white expanse.

The cage around him was a circle. It stood ten feet tall. Shirou approched it and reached out with his hand. "Trace On." He couldn't grasp the bars mentally. They felt cool to his touch. In fact, the temperature of this place was a lot colder than the Forest of Death. Shirou walked the circumference of his jail. His hand trailed behind him, touching each bar in turn. There was spot where the cage didn't curve. A straight section, with hinges on the sides. A gate. An exit. Shirou shook the bars, but they didn't budge. A seal was placed on the outside at chest level. The trapped ninja couldn't see what was on it, and a shock of energy kept him from touching the paper.

"Hmmm..." Ten feet wasn't tall. Shirou reinforced his legs and leapt. He struck a field of energy that ran across the top of his cell. It sent him crashing to the ground. "So much for that." He rubbed his head and his right thigh as he stood up. His landing hadn't been graceful.

Shirou's hand stopped. It was rubbing his hair. Where was his hood? He glanced down at his body. He was wearing a white shirt and black pants. None of his gear was with him. His gaze shifted to look at the ground. Even in the cell, there were a copious amount of kunai scattered about. Senbon too. Shirou knelt down. He picked one of the throwing spikes up. It was the kind Haku preferred. No, it was more than that. It was one that Haku had once possessed.

Shirou flicked it to the side. As it was about to pass through the bars of the cage, the energy field appeared again. The senbon was deflected into the air. It spun as it descended, and then landed in the ground. Shirou narrowed his eyes. All the senbon here were the ones he'd seen before. All of them belonged to his sister at one point. The kunai too. The ones inside his cage were those that he, Haku, and Zabuza had used.

Shirou turned his head. Outside the enclosure a field of kunai spread outwards. He recognized each and every one of them. Shirou scanned the field. There were more than kunai, the throwing knives were just the most plentiful. Swords, hammers, spears, arrows. All sorts of weapons littered the ground. Shirou saw Hiramekarei, the chakra sword, stuck in the earth to his right. Turning, he noticed Shibuki, Nuibari, and Kubikiribocho as well. In the back there was Chikyuukou, the sword used by the mole he'd seen summoned. There was only one spot that was bare. In the distance there appeared to be the entrance to a tunnel.

All the weapons he'd ever seen in his life were laid out on the ground. A layer of frost covered them and the soil they rested in. What was going on? This couldn't be real. He knew several of these swords had been broken beyond repair. Even if it was possible to lock him up and meticulously arrange all the blades in this field, some of them simply no longer existed.

So it was most likely a genjutsu. Shirou circulated his chakra. Most illusions couldn't keep a grip on him for more than an instant. Inoichi had explained that he subconsciously fluctuated his chakra. Genjutsu, which relied on another ninja's chakra overlaying his, was swept away. His teacher had said that casting a genjutsu was like spreading a thin layer of oil across the surface of a bowl of water. Targeting Shirou was akin to attempting it on a flowing stream. So this was either a highly advanced illusion, or something else.

Shirou stroked his chin. The last thing he remembered was returning with Haku, Sasuke, Sakura, and Saber. He'd gone to examine Naruto. His cousin's condition had been on his mind their entire walk back. Naruto's body had been fine, but there was a seal. Yes! He remembered. The Five Element's Seal. It had been around something else. Shirou had traced the seal, it was designed to trap chakra. It allowed for some to pass through. Shirou had passed his chakra through it, and...

And then he'd woken up here. Was this what happened when you had your chakra sealed? That couldn't be right. The amount he'd used to analyze Naruto had been miniscule. Chakra was spiritual and physical energy, so his mind could be trapped that way he supposed. The five Tori surrounding the field seemed to support the theory. What about the other seal inside the Five Elements Seal? Had he touched it before he arrived here? Shirou wasn't certain.

The redhead shivered. He wasn't dressed for this type of weather. What to do? And more importantly: Was this what had happened to Naruto? The Five Elements Seal wasn't made to trap consciousnesses. Had it done something strange, like the Cursed Seal of Heaven? Was Naruto trapped as well?

"NARUTO! WHERE ARE YOU?! ARE YOU OK?!"

"Huh? Shirou? What are you doing here? Where's that strange snake guy?"

Shirou spun around. Naruto was standing by the gate to his cage. "Naruto! You're ok." Shirou paused. "Well, you're trapped here with me, but I found you!"

"Trapped?" Naruto tilted his head. "What are you talking about?"

"I think we're in a seal." Shirou rushed over to stand opposite his clan-mate. "Haku, Karin, and I came to help you guys."

"Karin?"

"She's another Uzumaki from the Village Hidden in the Grass." Shirou smiled. "You'll like her. She sensed that you and Sasuke had been fighting Orochimaru. So we came to help."

"Orochimaru?"

"That's the name of the ninja that attacked you guys."

"That's cool!" Naruto beamed. "That snake bastard was really tough!" The blonde ninja brought his hands up behind his head. "Had Sasuke-teme shaking in his boots!"

"Yeah, he was." Shirou frowned. "If Saber hadn't shown up, I'm not sure what would've happened."

"Saber?" Naruto squinted his eyes.

"My Servant." Shirou scratched his head and looked to the side. "I kinda summoned her."

"Really! That's so cool!" Naruto's eyes opened wide as he excitedly gestured. "What is she? A dog? A cat? Oh! I know! A bear!"

"She's human, or was." Shirou looked to the side. "I think she might be dead."

"You summoned a GHOST!?" Naruto shouted. The blonde stumbled away. He stepped on a kunai and fell backwards. "Ow. That hurt." He rubbed his butt. "What's with all the weapons?"

"No idea." Shirou motioned to the Fire Tori. "I think those gateways are what's doing this. We should look at them."

"Ah, right. That's what I was thinking." Naruto crossed his arms and nodded.

"I'm trapped in here though." Shirou motioned to the paper on his cage. "I think that has something to do with it."

Naruto stood up and walked over to the paper. "It says 'Seal'." He leaned in closer. "Hm..." The blonde ninja closed his eyes and grunted for a while. "I know!" He slammed a fist into his open palm. "I'll just tear it off!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Shirou began to wave his cousin off. "It shocked me when I tried to touch it."

"Don't worry about it, dattebayo!" Naruto reached out and grasped the seal. "I'll have you out in a..."

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Karin started forward. Shirou had collapsed on top of Naruto. Her cousin had been in mid-sentence. Almost as soon as he fell over, Haku was by his side. The female ninja looped her arm under her brother, and lifted him. She laid the Sword ninja gently on the ground. The walking supernova of chakra took a step back. She held her arms low, gripping a mass of wind chakra. That much chakra should be visible to the naked eye, but it wasn't. It was also too... 'heavy' for wind. There was something underneath, but Karin couldn't sense it. The wind locked away its chakra just as it blocked vision of it.

The Grass ninja involuntarily scooted back. The armored woman was radiating an inhuman amount of chakra again. It promised righteous wrath to all who opposed her. Karin tried to swallow, but her throat was bone dry. It took all her willpower to pull her eyes away from the girl and onto Shirou. It was hard to make out with all the ambient chakra, but Karin could see a link between the other two Uzumakis. They had been physically separated, but a strand of chakra connected them. Karin frowned, there was another trail leading from the Sword ninja. From his left hand a dense flow of chakra connected to the armored blonde. It wasn't composed of either Shirou or her chakra, rather it was a mixture, both sending and recieving energy to one another.

The pressure was suffocating. Sakura had also slowly crept away from the woman with the hidden weapon. Karin felt small and helpless. Her defeat was assured, there was nothing she could do to prevent it. She was too afraid to even shake. The female Uzumaki wasn't even sure her heart was still beating.

"Saber." Haku looked up from Shirou's prone form. "Stop it. We're all allies here." The female ninja's eyes narrowed. "Shirou would not appreciate you terrorizing his friends and family."

Saber stared back, then she let out a breath. The pressure vanished. "As you say Haku. None of these people took a hostile action towards my Master." The mass of chakra in her hands vanished, and Saber stood up straight. "It is unbecoming of me to impugn the honor of Shirou's acquaintances."

Haku nodded, and then turned her attention back to Shirou. "Karin, can you sense anything?" The Ice ninja didn't look up while she addressed the other girl.

Karin finally managed to gulp. "His chakra is still in Naruto." She nervously adjusted her glasses. "It's a link between them. P-Perhaps if we separated them?"

"That may help." Haku took off Shirou's hood, and stroked his hair. "Could it harm either of them?"

"I don't know." Karin looked down. "I've never seen something like this before..."

A heavy silence hung in the air. Now that the pressure was gone, Karin could feel her heart rate slowly returning to normal.

Suddenly, the prone redhead let out a gasp. His eyes shot open and he sat up. "Naruto!" His head spun side to side, before it stopped facing the blonde Uzumaki.

"Shirou, are you all right?" Haku placed her arm on his shoulder. "What happened?"

Shirou leaned forward, his arms cradling his forehead. His breathing was rapid, and he was sweating. "I think the seal Orochimaru put on Naruto traps his chakra." He motioned to his cousin's stomach with his free hand. "I got caught up in it too. Naruto freed me."

If on cue, the blonde Uzumaki opened his eyes and leapt onto his feet. "Shirou? Orochimaru!" He looked side to side while crouching. "What's going on?"

"Naruto! You're awake!" Shirou stood up and hugged the other ninja.

"Hey! Shirou! Let go, dattebayo!" The shorter ninja squirmed in his cousin's arms.

"Right, right." Shirou let go and stepped back. "I'm sorry, Naruto." The twinkle in his eyes and the smile he wore made Karin doubt the veracity of his words.

"I had the strangest dream." The orange-clad ninja tilted his head while squinting. "There were these five gates, and a whole lot of kunai."

"I don't think that was a dream Naruto." Shirou waved his hand from side to side. "I'm pretty sure we both were trapped in Orochimaru's seal." The taller boy wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto smiled. "But I got us out by getting rid of that seal!"

Shirou nodded. "You sure did."

Haku stood up and waited silently by Shirou's side. Saber also moved to stand behind her Master.

"Who are all these people?" Naruto crossed his arms.

Shirou looked at the armored blonde behind him. "This is Saber. The Servant I summoned."

"The, the ghost?" Naruto paled.

Saber calmly stated. "I am a Servant, not a ghost."

"But, but, aren't you dead?" The blonde ninja took a step back.

"I became a Servant before my death." Saber stared at him with an unchanging expression. "Even Servants that are summoned after they die would not be considered apparitions."

Shirou placed his arm on Saber's shoulder. "See? She's solid." Something in the Servant's expression caused him to remove his hand and step backwards. "Uh, right. Sorry Saber." He then turned and looked at the other redhead. "Karin! Sorry I didn't greet you properly before examining Naruto." Karin shrunk back as he approached her. Shirou wrapped an arm around her shoulders and coaxed her forwards. "Naruto, this is Karin Uzumaki! She's our cousin!"

Karin felt her cheeks burning. Meeting Shirou and Haku had been strange enough. Coming to find Naruto and Sasuke had been a spur of the moment idea. Family, that she could cope with. The... Servant in front of her was another matter entirely. She shook her head. Saber wasn't an enemy, thankfully. Neither was Naruto. Now that he wasn't shouting and making an ass of himself, he seemed as bright and warm as his chakra. Karin squared her shoulders and looked the blonde Uzumaki in the eyes. "Hello. My name is Karin Uzumaki. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise!" Naruto grinned ear to ear. "This is great! Now I have a little sister too!"

"Hey!" Karin shrugged off Shirou's arm, and pointed a finger at the blonde. "Who's a little sister? I bet I'm older than you are!"

"Nuh uh!" Naruto shook his head. "I'm taller than you."

"How old are you?" Karin's eyes narrowed.

"I'm twelve!" The blonde ninja pointed at his chest with his thumb.

"Oh really?" Karin smirked. "I'm thirteen." She closed her eyes and turned her head upwards and away. "I guess you can just call me Karin-onee-sama."

"What?! Why would I..."

Shirou cut off Naruto's rant. "Now, now, having an older sister is a good thing." He reached forward and mussed the blonde's hair. "Trust me I know from experience."

"All right." Naruto pouted. "I'll call you Karin-onee-chan. Since your so much shorter than me!" He stuck his tongue out.

Karin peeked at him from the corner of her eyes. How childish! She then bowed her head and adjusted her glasses. A thought had come to her. With three Uzumakis they could rebuild the clan. Her cheeks flushed again. And they could combine it with the Uchiha! An uncontrollable giggling came up through her throat.

"Now that we've all been introduced, we can get some rest." Shirou patted her on the back and started moving away.

"Wait!" Karin grabbed his sleeve. Staying with Shirou, Sasuke, and Naruto sounded fun, but Saber's chakra threatened to overwhelm her. Karin enjoyed its feel, but it was just too strong. Staying the night next to her... that wasn't going to happen. "I..I should probably get back to Arai and Shigeri. I bet they're worried about me." Worried about the scrolls she had was more like it, but they needed to pass as a team. Especially since that would mean she got to spend more time in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"Ah, right. I forgot." Shirou hung his head. "Man, it would've been really nice for all of us to hang out together too!"

Karin tentatively placed her arm around his waist. Shirou returned the half-hug. The female Uzumaki looked up at her cousin. "We can hang out after the test." Oh, man, this was going to be hard to say. Karin looked downwards and to the side. "I, really enjoyed meeting you. Oh, and Naruto too. I suppose."

Shirou gave her a squeeze. "Don't worry. Now that we've found each other, I won't let anything tear us apart."

"Yeah! That's Shirou's ninja way! Dattebayo!" Naruto was actually giving them a thumbs up.

Karin rolled her eyes. Was this what having brothers was like?

"We should get going." Haku intoned from the edge of the camp. "The forest probably has all sorts of nocturnal predators."

"Yeah, you're right Haku." Shirou disengaged from Karin and stepped towards Naruto. "Here." He reached into a pouch and pulled out an Earth scroll. "You guys have been through a lot. Why don't you take our scroll?"

"What!?" From the side Sakura gasped.

Naruto crossed his arms. "No way! We're going to pass this test on our own! We'll see you at that tower 'ttebayo!"

Shirou shook his head and smiled. "That's just like you. Well, I'm glad I was able to help. Even if it wasn't that much." He motioned towards the roots. "C'mon guys, lets head out. Karin's team must be worried sick about her by now."

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Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat at his desk. He peered under the brim of his hat at special jonin Anko Mitarashi. His elbows rested on mounds of paperwork and mission requests. His crossed fingers hovered in front of his nose, leaving only his eyes visible. "Why do you think we shouldn't stop the exams Anko?"

The purple-haired shinobi stood at attention. "Hokage-sama, Orochimaru threatened the lives of the participants if we suspend the exams. While they're in the Forest of Death, our ability to monitor and protect them is minimal." The female ninja squared her shoulders. "I think that it would be best not to call him on this. The lives of others mean nothing to him. He would slaughter every last genin if it suited him."

"Hmmmm..." Hiruzen closed his eyes. "We are not even certain that he remains in the forest. It is troubling that he was able to slip past our security so easily." The sensing barrier, it hadn't been updated in quite a while. A final request of Itachi, so he could visit his brother from time to time. No one else knew of their arrangement, but it compromised the village's security. If someone got past once, getting past again would be a simple matter. Altering them right now would take too much time. It would have to wait until after the exams were over. He'd find some way to make it up to the S-Rank Uchiha.

"He is skilled. We have no idea how much of our security is compromised. He spent too much time in the village for us to ever be certain that... *Urk*" Anko fell to one knee. Her right arm went to the left side of her neck. The location of her cursed seal.

The Hokage stood up, slamming his hands on the desk. "Anko! What is it?"

"The - the seal is acting up again." She ground out the words through clenched teeth.

Sarutobi looked around his office and made a subtle gesture. An Anbu emerged from hiding and went to the trench-coat clad ninja. "It did that when you confronted him in the forest." It was a statement more than a question.

"Yeah..." Anko grimaced in pain. "I shouldn't be in here, Hokage. Who knows what else the accursed thing can do."

Hiruzen nodded. "Badger, escort Miss Mitarashi to a secure area until the seal returns to inactivity. This will have to be the end of the debriefing."

Badger knelt under Orochimaru's former apprentice's arm, and helped her to her feet. The pair began to leave when IT happened. An explosion of chakra so strong it took them all aback.

"What's that?" Anko raised her head.

"The Nine Tailed Fox?" The Anbu was looking around.

"No, this chakra is different." Sarutobi concentrated. "The scale is the same as a Tailed Beast, but the sensation is different." The Fox's chakra had been vile and angry, full of hatred. This chakra was wild and powerful, yet controlled and focused. Hiruzen could feel it pulse in quick precise bursts. "It could be worse than a Tailed Beast. This chakra is being expertly controlled."

"Is that good?" Anko stood up, she no longer seemed to be in pain.

"If it's an enemy, no." The Hokage narrowed his eyes. "But it opens the possibility that it's not attacking the village."

The enormous chakra began to be reigned in. As it's presence lowered, it was harder to pinpoint it. It got to the point where it was noticeable, but no more than a jonin going all out. Unfortunately, it was in the Forest of Death. The location obscured its exact position.

"Hokage-sama, what do we do?" Badger spoke up.

"Anko, I'm afraid you'll have to return to active duty immediately."

The female shinobi nodded. "The curse mark stopped reacting again. I... I should be fine for the time being."

"I don't think that Orochimaru was bluffing. Something just happened in the forest. It can't be a coincidence." Hiruzen returned to his desk. It was time to use the crystal ball, but that would wait until Anko had left. "It may also be a diversion or a trap. Anko, go back to the forest. Prepare to mobilize some scouting parties. Badger, rouse all the jonin. Everyone's on active duty as of right now."

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Kabuto stopped in his tracks. A huge explosion of chakra came from the East. It was massive, on a scale like nothing he'd experienced personally. He motioned to Yoroi and Misumi. The pair nodded in response and set out towards the source. Kabuto trailed behind them. Whatever that was, getting some details on it was his new goal. Being Orochimaru's apprentice meant obtaining information by any means possible. The Chunin Exams were always a great opportunity. Stupid genin showing off everything they could do, in an attempt to move up the ranks. Ridiculous. The entire affair. Rank meant nothing. You were either powerful or you weren't. Fame was a natural byproduct. Actively seeking it was detrimental. Spying had shown him the truth of that statement. He could go places and do things that his teacher couldn't. Not because he was more talented than the Snake Sannin, but because he was an unknown.

The gray-haired ninja smirked. He would be famous one day too, without a silly test. For now he would be patient. Even his own teammates didn't know of his full abilities. They were also spies, but they were disposable. Not that they knew that. In fact, Kabuto ranked himself as one of the least disposable of all of Orochimaru's followers. He'd worked hard at becoming indispensable. He knew what his teacher valued. What skills would help him in being useful.

Case in point. A chakra that large had to mean something. It was unexpected, and thus a huge opportunity. Yoroi and Misumi would think the same thing, but for the wrong reasons. They saw it as a way to prove their strength and superiority. To validate Orochimaru's faith in them. To show off the training and modifications he'd given them. They would never be anything more than pawns. What better use for a pawn than sacrifice?

Yoroi was particularly adept at sensing chakra. A byproduct of his enhanced ability to absorb the energy of others. It was the middle of the night, but all three of them were planning on staying awake the full five days allocated to the second stage. The forest was big, and it took them a while to make their way across it. Yoroi raised his hand. They were close. Both he and Misumi raced through hand-signs. Each of them created a water clone. Sensible. Perhaps they weren't as blinded by their abilities as Kabuto thought.

The spies changed their pace. The two water clones crept through the forest as a vanguard. Yoroi and Misumi stayed twenty feet back. Kabuto brought up the rear a hundred feet back. It was the longest range he could manage. He would still have to advance forward to witness the fight. The maximum visibility in such a thick woods would require it. His teammates stopped. They were hiding. Observing their clones. Kabuto put on a burst of speed. He flanked the battle site, and came to stop as far away as possible.

It was the hooded pair. The ones that had come to the loudmouth's aid. That blonde who was teammates with Orochimaru's future vessel. Interesting. They seemed to have met up with their third member. Kabuto's eyes narrowed. He didn't think that they were just a pair. It was an obvious trap. Appear to be weak. Fewer people. An glaring disability. Dressing the same, just to ensure that no one associated them with their third member. They were smart, and thus dangerous.

Their leader, for that only made sense, baffled him. Such power. She wasn't be a genin by any standard. So what was going on? A ringer? No. The mismatch would be obvious to everyone watching. You didn't assign an A-Rank jonin to what was essentially a children's pissing match. She couldn't be expected to compete without making the Leaf look desperate. Shit! Kabuto swore internally. She was here for the second exam. The most likely reasons would be either Orochimaru's presence or the Sand's duplicity. Either one was bad. They suggested that the Hidden Leaf suspected something was wrong.

The water clones were grandstanding. Kabuto couldn't make out the words, but their posture was unmistakable. The one-armed ninja made a motion. A flash of silver. Not kunai, or shuriken... senbon. The clones didn't react in time, but it didn't matter. Senbon weren't damaging enough to disrupt them. She must've thought they were shadow clones, or was just testing their reflexes. Both clones had managed to raise their arms to block the needles. Those same arms were now crystal blue. The color spread throughout their bodies until nothing was left but two ice statues.

The one-armed ninja looked completely relaxed. The other black-clad one was motioning to their leader. She had spread her legs into a combat stance at the start of the encounter, but now she had resumed her original rigid posture. Evidently the weapon bearing ninja had not wanted her to bother. That spoke of his overconfidence. Yoroi and Misumi were still hiding. A surprisingly rational decision on their part. They might even be considering retreating.

The male took out a bow. He notched three arrows and shot them into the air. He performed the same action three more times. Kabuto narrowed his eyes. There was a trick. Each time he'd adjusted the angle and pull of his shots. The arrows arced overhead of Yoroi and Misumi, and embedded themselves in the ground behind the pair. So he knew what direction they were in. Was he hoping to hit them with luck? Or make them give away their position? The arrows detonated. The explosion was too small for a standard tag. Kabuto hadn't seen any on the arrow's shafts. So a small explosive seal on the projectiles themselves. Nearly impossible to see in exchange for a smaller destructive radius.

Everything else happened all at once. Yoroi and Misumi leapt forward, but it was too late. The first volley had blocked off their escape. The remaining arrows fell at the same time. They peppered the area around the two spies as they detonated. Kabuto winced. They hadn't been expecting that. A substitution or a shunshin would've been their only hope. He'd seen enough. His teammates were either dead or wounded enough to be out of the competition. Not that it mattered. He'd gotten some good info out of their 'fight', and he wasn't planning on proceeding on to the third stage anyways.

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Haku stayed vigilant as Shirou went to their downed opponents. Every other team in this competition had three members. So where was the final opponent? "How are they?" Her brother's attack had been... excessive. He should have let her deal with them. It would've been quicker and less painful.

"Trace On." Shirou touched each body in turn. "They're just unconscious. A few fractures and one light concussion."

"That's good." Haku smiled. Even arrogant jerks like these didn't deserve to die. Especially not for a test. The Ice ninja eyed Saber. She was wary of the Servant. "Any scrolls?"

"Two of them. A Heaven and an Earth." Shirou pocketed the trophies. He then stood up and walked back, one of their attackers over his shoulder. He lowered the ninja gently to the ground in the middle of the clearing. "Now we have an extra Earth Scroll, what should we do?"

"The tower's not far." Haku slowly turned in a circle taking in the forest. "I doubt we'll run into anyone else before we reach it."

"Yeah." Shirou frowned. "These guys were so close too. It seems a shame." With a sigh he went to retrieve the other body. "I knew I should've forced Naruto to take the other scroll."

"He never would've gone for that, and you know it." Haku closed her eyes and focused on the various heat levels around her. Better safe than sorry. "Naruto isn't the type of person to let someone do his work for him."

"It's one of his good points." Shirou returned with the second unconscious ninja.

"Shirou." Saber spoke in her calm voice. "What are your plans for your defeated opponents? Mercy is a virtue, but it can also cause problems in the future."

"We're not going to kill them, if that's what you're asking Saber." Shirou placed the second body next to the first.

"Then what is your intention with positioning them like that?" The Servant's blue eyes bored into Shirou.

"It's so Haku can protect them." Shirou motioned to the surrounding trees. "This is called 'The Forest of Death'. There's a lot of dangerous animals around. If we just left them, then they might be injured or killed."

Haku narrowed her eyes. "If you let me take them out, then it wouldn't be an issue."

"Sure, if you paralyzed their limbs individually. If you shut down their entire body, then it's even worse." Shirou rubbed his head. "Like that Kin girl. She may have regained consciousness quicker, but she won't be able to move for a week."

Haku rolled her eyes. "That's still preferable than what happened to her teammates."

"Yeah," Shirou hung his head. "That was a bit overboard. Well, the one with tubes in his arms. Dosu wasn't that bad off." The Sword ninja looked at his sister. "He only had one arm hurt, and it was just broken!"

"They might not be able to be ninjas anymore." Haku let out a sigh. "Still, they're alive. I don't think they'd show that level of restraint if they were the victors."

Shirou glanced down. "Probably not. The three of them were pretty ruthless."

A silence hung in the air. Haku didn't like it. She didn't like being at odds with Shirou. He hadn't even done anything wrong. Not in this fight or the other one. It was Saber. Haku didn't trust the blonde woman. Befriending Karin, that was ok. Better than ok, she was family, and she'd helped them save Sasuke and Naruto. Saber was another matter entirely. She wasn't human. She wasn't family. She was too strong. Haku had to stay on guard. If their new companion turned on them, she had to be ready.

"I'm sorry Shirou." Haku put her arm on his shoulder. "I shouldn't second guess you. Injuries will happen."

"Indeed." Saber moved next to them. "Showing restraint is a virtue, but it is difficult to judge at times."

"Thanks for the advice, Saber." Shirou nodded to the Servant.

Haku kept quite. Saber had stayed out of the fight. The Servant had readied herself though. Was it instinct? Or had she been preparing to interfere? The Ice ninja didn't trust her to keep her word. This was a test for Shirou and her. They didn't need anyone else.

"Hey, Haku." Shirou nudged her. "You ready?"

"Yeah." The Ice ninja made the handsigns and performed the jutsu. "Ice Release: Frozen Dome." From the ground, ice formed. It crept upwards before merging into a half sphere.

"I see." Saber tilted her head. "The ice will keep away predators. How long will it last?"

"I made it a foot thick." Haku replied. "That should last for a few days, more than enough time for a proctor to find them or for them to wake up on their own."

"And be trapped?"

Haku shook her head. "The ice isn't reinforced. Even a genin can break it, given enough time. Or it will eventually melt."

"What about the scroll?" Shirou held up the extra Earth scroll they had procured.

Haku shrugged. "Do what you want."

"Ok." Her brother placed the scroll on the ground at the foot of the dome. "This way they might stand a chance. Or someone else could stumble upon it. Better for it to be of use than sitting in our pack."

Haku nodded. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah, now that we have both scrolls, we can just go to the tower instead of camping for the night." The redhead looked backwards. "I hope Naruto and Karin are safe."

"I'm sure they will be. They're both strong." Haku patted her brother on the shoulder. "They have to do this on their own, or it won't mean anything."

Shirou let out a sigh. "You're right. Let's go."

Saber and Haku both nodded. Haku took lead again. With Saber in tow, there wasn't much point to her shadowing Shirou from the trees. Speed was more important than luring out other teams, or remaining in reserve. The forest was still dangerous. Large animals were easy to avoid, they gave off a lot of heat. Insects and leeches were more of a threat to them. They existed in a surprising amount, and could kill or immobilize in several different ways. After an hour, the tower came into view. The doors swung open easily, revealing a large, empty room.

"What now?" Shirou asked.

"There's an inscription." Haku motioned to the far wall. "Let's read it."

The trio walked inside. When they were in the middle of the room the doors slammed shut. Masked Anbu appeared in a cloud of smoke. They were surrounded.


	8. The Chunin Exams 3

Saber took a combat stance and summoned Excalibur. Eight masked opponents. She hadn't detected their presence. Assassin. The masks were different, but the ability was the same. Many Servants as one. Each one would be individually weak, but a weak Servant was still more than a match for a human. They were after her Master. She had to strike quickly to ensure his safety.

"No! Stop!" Shirou cried out as she burst forward. His words lacked conviction. They didn't trigger a Command Seal.

Saber ignored him. Her Master was inexperienced. He knew nothing of the War. He didn't realize what danger he was in. While Shirou was certainly skilled, his naivete would get him killed. A swing. Her target... flickered ever so slightly. Arturia felt her sword bite into wood. The illusion shattered upon impact, leaving a cleaved log in its place.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" "Fire Release: Great Fireball!" Two of the Assassins made similar hand gestures as her first opponent. So they were the same person. She had been summoned just as her Master would've been killed off. How fortuitous. No. The Grail would not allow anything else.

Flames from one of the opposing Servants combined with a cyclone from another. The two attacks merged into a firestorm. Saber dived through it. Flames could burn only so quickly. To survive you minimized your time exposed. That meant running through the attack if you couldn't dodge. As the magic bore down on her, it died out. Once again the Assassin's power failed to pierce her Magic Resistance.

Odd. Last time the Assassins didn't have magical aptitude. Was it a different Heroic Spirit? Or was Assassin summoned as Caster this time?

Two other bodies of the Servant closed in on her Master and his sister. Saber flared her prana. It shot out from behind her, propelling her body forward. It was a move no human would be able to follow. Assassin was caught off guard as well. Or rather, one of Assassin was. Her first swing cut flesh. It was a shallow wound. The masked Servant had leapt back, but not quite far enough. Not surprising since he couldn't see her blade's length. Saber pivoted in one smooth motion. Her body made a full rotation, transferring her forward momentum to the other, less agile, attacker.

Shirou interposed himself. Saber expelled more prana to stop her momentum.

"Saber! These aren't enemies!" The redhead exclaimed. "They're Anbu! They protect the village!"

Anbu? Saber knew that word. It was part of the knowledge the Grail and imparted upon her. Black Ops Ninja of a Hidden Village. That would mean they weren't Servants. But it didn't mean they weren't adversaries.

A wooden dome grew out of the floor. Her momentary pause had been capitalized upon. Quicker than she had though possible, the thick boards enclosed her. A swing of her sword cut through them all. In the fraction of a second she'd had her vision obscured, Shirou and Haku had been captured. They now stood in the corner, surrounded by four Assassins. Or rather, four Anbu. She'd seen her Master fight. He could hold his own better than this. At least protect himself from a Servant of Assassin's strength for a time. No, not Assassin. Anbu.

Saber paused.

She eyed the remaining attackers warily. Neither side moved. Seconds passed.

"Alright! That's enough!" A purple-haired woman wearing a trench coat and not much else appeared in a swirl of leaves. She jerked a thumb at Shirou and his sister. "She's clearly allied with the genin, but they aren't attacking." The female ninja narrowed her eyes. "In fact, I don't think she'll attack as long as we have them in custody."

Saber cursed silently. It wasn't all bad. Her Master was a prisoner, but of the government of the Village. It wasn't part of the War. The Servant glanced right and left. What to do?

"Saber!" Haku spoke up. "This is part of the Exam! You shouldn't interfere!"

THIS was part of the test? Saber looked at her Master. Shirou nodded.

"Very well." The Servant stood up straight and dismissed her sword - not that the enemy would know that. "I apologize Shirou and Haku. I thought your lives were in danger."

"They might be." The purple-haired female spoke up again. "Who are you? Why are you in our village?" Her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing with a pair of our genin?"

Saber calmly stared back at her interrogator. She would not reveal details to an outsider. That was a rule of the Grail War. Or it had been in the last one. This world was much more open about magic.

"Anko-san." Shirou gave a deep bow. "Please excuse Saber's actions. I summoned her inside the forest, and she doesn't understand the details of the Chunin Exam."

"Summoned eh?" Anko smirked. "I suppose a summons could explain things." She turned on the siblings. "Why didn't you inform us you had access to a summons? Especially one this powerful?" The ninja turned to face Saber. "And why is she transformed into a girl? Are you playing at something?" The special jonin leered. "Or with someone?"

Shirou paled. "What? No! It's not like that!"

"I think you'd better explain things genin."

Her Master waved his hands in front of him. "It all started when I was removing a seal Orochimaru had placed on Sasuke Uchiha."

"..." The female ninja spun around with wide eyes. "WHAT?!"

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Baki stared down at the body of the Kazekage. No, that wasn't right. This man wasn't the Kazekage. The assembled jonin had sealed off the tent. Not that it mattered. The genin teams that hadn't passed the first exam were stationed far away enough that they wouldn't be an issue. The three Anbu that had escorted the Kazekage were present in the room. That made thirteen people.

"The first order of business is to examine the body." Baki addressed the room. He was the senior jonin, so it was his place to assume control. "We need to determine the cause of death. Was this an attempt on the Kazekage's life, or the killing of his replacement." The Sand ninja's visible eye narrowed. "If you had a hand in this, or knowledge of what happened, speak now." The room was silent. "Very well. Let's proceed."

Baki motioned for the closest jonin and an Anbu to move forward. That would mitigate the potential contamination of the scene. The body lay face down on the table where it had collapsed. A face lay underneath its head. A grizzly technique. The three ninja lifted the body and placed it on the table for everyone to see. The clothing was removed slowly. Every inch was checked for traps or seals before it was touched. Normally, this would be the job for a puppet, but they couldn't afford to do this examination second-hand. Once the adornments were stored away, the body itself was inspected. It wasn't human. Baki conferred with the other two ninja before turning to address the room.

"Sasuki, Sparrow, and I have finished our examination." Baki cleared his throat. "There is little doubt that this body belonged to Orochimaru - an S-Rank missing nin from the Leaf. His face is well known. Even more interesting, the body has hundreds of dead snakes inside. Orochimaru is known for his contract with Snakes, and his focus on using them." The head jonin looked around the tent. "The disguise he wore was the Kazekage's actual face. Obviously this means that Rasa is dead, likely at the hand of Orochimaru himself."

Baki paced back and forth, collecting his thoughts.

"We have no time line as of yet. Nor do we have a cause of death. This brings up several distinct possibilities. First, the Kazekage was assassinated some time ago by Orochimaru... under the orders of the Leaf. The Snake Sannin is a missing nin. The odds of him being secretly allied with the Leaf are low, but not unreasonable. Especially if his orders didn't come through official channels." Baki slowly shifted his gaze across the gathered ninja. "No, the error in this logic is the timing. Would the Leaf kill our leader, just to maneuver us into attacking them? Not unreasonable, except the Gaara was part of the invasion." Baki shook his head. "No one would want a rampaging Tailed-Beast loosed in their village."

There was a murmuring of consent from the room. Baki paused before continuing.

"If Rasa was killed by Orochimaru, who was acting against the Leaf, then the invasion has a possibility of success. Or had. We would have been manipulated into an attack on our ally by the very person who'd killed our leader. The Sound might very well turn on us after the fighting, but that was always taken into account." Baki paused. "In other words if Orochimaru killed the Kazekage before the Chunin Examination attack was devised, we would be pawns either way."

Baki scanned the room. None of the assembled jonin had acted out of character from his speech. Either he was failing to ferret out the spy/assassin or he hadn't struck close enough to the truth to elicit a response. Or there wasn't a spy in the room, but the odds of that were the lowest.

"So let us consider the scenario where the invasion was planned by Rasa." The jonin turned and resumed his slow pacing. "Was he killed by Orochimaru because the missing nin was protecting his home village? If that was the case, we don't have any idea who killed the Snake Sannin, but our attack on the Hidden Leaf is expected. We would be going into a war without the element of surprise. So then, what if Orochimaru was acting against the Leaf? Usurping the invasion all on his own? That would not work out well for us, even if he hadn't just been killed. Once again, we would most likely be cannon fodder for the Hidden Sound." He brought a hand to his chin. "We now have to consider the added possibility that Orochimaru has ties with the Hidden Sound. He might even be their Kage." No reaction.

Baki stopped his pacing. He turned his head side to side as the assembled jonin whispered to one another.

"We have already suffered a grievous loss. Our plans are in shambles, if indeed they were OUR plans to begin with." The senior jonin took a deep breath in. "Regardless of which possibility is true, our course of action is clear." A dead silence hung in the air. "We will not continue the invasion plan. Those of you who's genin teams have failed will leave immediately. We must take Orochimaru's body to the Hidden Sand as quickly as possible. It is our one potential windfall in all of this. His body has to be secured so we can examine it properly. Next, we have to search between here and our village for Rasa's body. If we don't find it, we have to expand our efforts until we do. Not only must we protect his jutsu if possible, we also can narrow down the culprit behind his death and our manipulation. A proper autopsy of Rasa's body will help us establish a timeline. Leave now. We don't have a moment to spare!"

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Shirou sat on the bed cross-legged. It had been an eventful couple of days, and he wanted to talk with Haku. His sister seemed... agitated. It was worrying him. He patted the mattress next to him. "Haku-nee-chan, you seem agitated. It's worrying me."

Let it never be said that Shirou didn't speak his mind.

Haku let out a sigh and sat down beside him. "I am. I mean, anyone but you would be with HER around." The black-haired girl motioned with her head at the Servant who stood in the center of the room. Saber made no indication that she'd heard the remark.

"Oh, is that all?"

Haku's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'is that all'?"

Shirou shook his head. "I was afraid you were upset with me." His sister tilted her head, so he continued. "You warned me about messing with the seal and I didn't listen. It did summon Orochimaru. I could have gotten Sasuke and Sakura killed!"

"Shirou..." Haku hung her head. Her long black hair obscured her face. "If I'm upset about that, it'd be because YOU almost got killed. Not..." She paused, and swallowed. "Not because you were trying to help someone or that you rushed into it." Her head shook, sending her hair flying side to side. "You didn't have a choice. Sasuke was dying."

"If I had just listened to you though." Shirou shook his head. "It didn't even occur to me that the seal could summon him if he wasn't dead. That wasn't what it was made to do."

Haku looked up. "I didn't think it would either." Her eyes glistened. "I just..." She let out another sigh. "I just feel that I always have to play Devil's Advocate. That I'm always opposing you, and I hate it!"

"Is that why you're so... distant with Saber?" Shirou glanced at the Servant. She still hadn't moved at the mention of her name.

"I guess..." Haku wiped her eyes. "It's not like I'm upset she helped you... but you're too trusting! She saved you from a really dangerous ninja. She swore to protect you. Don't you think it's odd? Who saves someone like that, with no reason? With no promise of a reward?"

Shirou reached out, and drew Haku close to him. The pair leaned against the wall, with Shirou's arm around his older sister. "You did, remember?"

Haku looked up. "What?"

"When we first met. You saved me from the fire." Shirou smiled at the memory of her smile. It felt natural now. Not the same smile as he'd sought for so long, but a different, better one. "You didn't do that for a reward. You saved me because that's who you are."

"I.. I guess." Haku looked down. Her cheeks flushed.

"And it's the same for Saber." Shirou nodded at the Servant. "Just like I protect you and Naruto, and now Karin. And you protect me. Saber has her own code." Shirou felt like he understood the blonde girl from the moment he laid eyes on her. The... nobility in her was as plain as anything. He felt like he'd always known, and had just then remembered. "She's not doing this on a whim. She won't betray us. Serving. Putting others ahead of her. That's what she values. It's a code. A cause she's devoted her life to."

Haku squirmed and snuggled up under his arm. "That makes sense, I suppose."

"Another thing, keep on correcting me!" Shirou gave her a squeeze. "We both know you're the smart one. I'll never resent you for telling me I'm wrong." He paused for a bit. "If Zabuza had told you that you were performing a jutsu incorrectly, would you have been upset with him?"

"Of course not. Zabuza-sama's instruction was invaluable."

"So is yours Haku."

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"So let me get this straight." Inoichi sat with his head bowed. "My genin team managed to remove a seal created by Orochimaru. A seal that killed nine out of ten of his previous experiments. A seal that's still on Anko to this day. A seal even Jiraiya couldn't do a thing about." The blonde jonin paused. That wasn't the most astonishing thing they'd apparently done. It wasn't even the second most. What was going on? This was supposed to be a simple assignment. Teach some genin. Instill the Will of Fire in them. Help with their issues so they'd both be better ninja and happier.

"That's what they reported." Ibiki leaned back in his chair. Their make-shift T&I room in the Forest of Death's tower didn't have much room. Right now it was just the two of them, but earlier it had been quite crowded with all the Anbu. "We can't confirm the specifics until Team 7 is eliminated or makes it to the tower."

"Right. We'll put the Grandmaster seal work to the side for now." Inoichi shook his head. "Shirou then proceeded to hold his own against a Sannin for an indeterminate amount of time."

"It isn't odd for Orochimaru to play with his opponents." The scarred jonin crossed his arms. "It fits the psychological profile we have on him." Ibiki brought a gloved hand to his chin. "The profile is several years out of date, but at its core it's most likely still accurate."

Inoichi nodded. "Or he might have been dazed from being summoned so suddenly."

Ibiki shrugged.

"Ok, ok. Not the point." The Yamanaka held a hand in front of him. "We are in the fact obtaining stage. No hypothesis until we're done." His hand fell into his lap. "All of these actions would have been very important. Not vital since we already had Anko Mitarashi's report that her former instructor was back. No, the important part is the 'Human Woman' that was summoned. The one who possesses Tailed Beast level chakra."

"We can't rule out that she's a Jinchuriki."

"Or that she's human even."

"Correct. The Hyuga report that her entire body is saturated with chakra. So much so that it wouldn't be inaccurate to say she's entirely composed of chakra pathways." Ibiki smirked. "And that there's a super condensed core in her chest. 'Too much chakra to see inside.' is what the report says."

"That would point to a Tailed Beast, except they super-charge the chakra coils, they don't change them to something else."

"Heh, she could be a summons with a Tailed Beast inside."

Inoichi paused. "Is... is that even possible? What would it be called? The Power of Animal Sacrifice?"

"It would no doubt depend on the type of animal."

"Right. Well, we don't know what she is. Shirou said she was a 'Servant', but that he didn't know what that was."

"It's how she refers to herself."

The blonde jonin ran his hand though his hair. "So that's where I come in."

Ibiki nodded. "Don't use any jutsu on her. We don't want to aggravate her."

"Trust me, I wasn't planning on it." Inoichi stood up. "Right, I'm off then."

Ibiki didn't reply. The head of the Yamanaka left the room and made his way to where his genin were. They were being kept in the tower, but as far away from where sensitive information was being discussed as possible. There were seals placed at every corner, but that didn't guarantee anything. No ward was perfect. Inoichi reached their room. It didn't have a door, so he paused as he entered. It was a standard housing cell. Four bunk beds. Eight person occupancy. Saber refused to leave Shirou's side. Not unexpectedly, Shirou and Haku showed great reluctance to be without each other's presence. The Servant stood in the center of the room. Her blue eyes measured everything they saw. Shirou and Haku leaned side to side on a bed, quietly talking. The head of the Yamanaka clan steeled himself. Saber's chakra was... inspiring, smoothing, charismatic. He could envision the woman in front of him leading an army, but he couldn't be distracted. He had a job to do.

"Ahem," Inoichi cleared his throat. "Saber is it?" The blonde woman nodded. "I wonder if I could speak with you for a while."

"Shirou?" The Servant asked the redheaded genin. Her eyes never left Inoichi's.

"Saber, you can talk to him if you want to." Shirou raised his head. "They just want to make sure you're not a threat to the village."

The Servant nodded. "I understand. If it will ease your minds and allow my Master free reign to move about, then I will cooperate." Saber remained standing where she was.

"Shall we sit down?" Inoichi motioned to the beds. He'd prefer a smaller room with chairs, but Saber wouldn't leave Shirou's side.

The blonde woman shook her head. "I'm am fine here." She paused for a second before continuing. "You may have a seat if you'd like."

"No, I'll stand as well." The jonin had hoped for a more casual setting, but Saber seemed to be a very formal person. That was probably a good thing. "We understand what happened in the forest, but I'd like to talk to you Saber. I want to try and understand who and what you are."

"They are the same thing. I am a Servant." The woman replied. Her tone was courteous. Surprising considering how often she had been asked that same exact question.

"And you were summoned?"

"That is correct."

"What country did you originate from?"

"I cannot tell you." Saber shut her eyes and gently shook her head. "My country name would reveal details about who I am."

"So you won't tell me your name either?"

"I am Servant Saber." The woman opened her eyes. "That is all that matters. Who I was is both unimportant to you and valuable information to Shirou's enemies."

"But we aren't his enemies." Inoichi opened his arms. "I'm his teacher."

"Even so, I would not even tell Shirou my name. It is the most important thing to a Servant. Unless I can be one hundred percent confident in the information being safe, I will not divulge it."

"I see." This was a complete roadblock. Inoichi wasn't gaining an inch. "We just want to know where your allegiance lies. If the ruler of your country demanded you attack us, would you do so?"

"That would not happen." Saber glared at the jonin. "If it came down to my country or yours, I would of course choose mine. However, I can assure you that will never come to pass. I am here to serve Shirou and fight in the War. By winning, I will be able to help my country. Thus, our goals are aligned."

Inoichi nodded. "This war you speak of, what is it? If your country is not participating how do they benefit?"

"It is not a war between countries. Rather, it is a war between seven Servants and Masters." Saber calmly replied. "Servants have great power, so only they can fight one another."

"And where is the war going to be fought? If Servants are as dangerous as you claim, then the potential for casualties if enormous."

"Indeed." Saber's head dropped a fraction. "I promise you that I will strive to protect those not involved in the fighting. This includes moving any conflicts away from populated areas."

Inoichi laced his fingers together. "I think I understand. Thank you for your time." The jonin nodded to his genin, and then turned and walked out. He hadn't asked her about being a Jinchuriki, not that he could with Shirou and Haku present. It didn't matter. Saber would not reveal any information about herself. Her loyalty was real though. She kept her emotions in check, but her deference to Shirou was obvious. Strange, her presence seemed so soothing. Like she was used to being in charge. She also listened earnestly to his concerns.

Could she BE the leader of her country? That would rule out any place in the Elemental Nations. The political power here was kept out of ninja hands. She might be from beyond the ocean. Inoichi mentally reviewed her words. There was no evidence, but the way she spoke could be interpreted in that fashion. The jonin very much doubted she was a Jinchuriki. Her chakra was nothing like the Nine Tailed Fox's. It was fully controlled and pure. While that wasn't proof that she did not have a Tailed Beast sealed inside, the overwhelming chakra she possessed was her own. Not a mixture of her's and someone else's.

Inoichi frowned. That wasn't completely accurate. There was a very, very faint trace of Shirou's chakra. If he wasn't used to sensing his genin's energy, he'd never have picked it up.

Whatever she was or wasn't, Saber was powerful. Considering the Hidden Leaf's stance on power in general, and Jinchuriki specifically, Inoichi doubted the Hokage would attempt to drive the Servant off. The potential for a war was there, but if what she said was true, then her presence might prevent casualties. The thought of six more people like her... The Yamanaka shuddered. Nine Tailed Beasts were bad enough. Now the number of S-Ranked threats had increased. The Leaf would have to prepare.

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"Crow report." Hiruzen Sabutori put down his pen. The Anbu that had appeared in his office must have important news.

"Kakashi's team has passed stage two." Crow stated. "They've been debriefed." The Anbu placed a scroll on the desk in front of the Hokage.

Hiruzen picked the scroll up and unrolled it. "Hmmmm..." The old man let out a grunt as his eyes flickered over the encoded document. "So, officially, they were attacked by a Grass ninja of unknown origin. While they were recuperating, a different Grass ninja, one Karin Uzumaki, led Shirou Uzumaki and Haku Yuki to where Team Seven were recuperating. The new arrivals provided medical aid to their fellow Leaf ninja, then left."

"Correct, Hokage."

"What is the unofficial version?"

"There is no mistake, the ninja that attacked them was Orochimaru. We believe he was after Sasuke Uchiha. While he was initially unaware of the Nine-Tailed Fox's Jinchuriki, his actions indicate that this is no longer the case. Naruto Uzumaki had a Five Elements seal placed around the Eight Trigrams seal that contains the Fox."

Hiruzen furrowed his brow. "That's a rookie mistake. An odd layered seal on top of an even, it won't... Of course. Orochimaru wanted to cut Naruto off from the Nine-Tailed's chakra, but only for that fight."

"Indeed. That is the assumption we are now using."

"What of the seal?"

"Kakashi-taicho was able to remove it. The Fourth Hokage's seal is now operating as intended again."

Sabutori nodded. "Good. Continue."

The Anbu remained motionless as he resumed his report. "The Sannin placed a different seal on the Uchiha. It caused him to go unconscious, drained his chakra, and nearly killed him. From the limited information we have, we can only assume it was similar to the one he placed on his former apprentice - Anko Mitarashi."

"Yes, the Cursed Seal." Hiruzen shook his head. "No doubt that it's more advanced. Orochimaru would not let much get in his way of progressing his jutsu."

"For lack of a better term, we are referring to both of them as the Cursed Seal."

"Of course." The Hokage closed his eyes. "Since one no longer exists, there is no need to make a more precise distinction."

"Shirou Uzumaki consumed the seal to summon Orochimaru." The Anbu continued. "During the fight, the missing nin attempted to summon something. His jutsu was highjacked by an unknown means, and a summons loyal to Shirou appeared instead."

"Yes, Servant Saber."

"She was able to drive Orochimaru off. The teams then went their separate ways, with both eventually making it to the tower with both a Heaven and Earth scroll."

"And Saber?"

"She refuses to either indulge more about herself or leave Shirou Uzumaki's side." Underneath his mask, Crow's voice took on an amused tone. "She neither eats nor sleeps. Has chakra comparable to a Tailed Beast. Can perform at least one A or S-Ranked Wind technique. Has Kage level Bukijutsu. And appears to be completely loyal to Shirou."

"I see."

"From observations, we have concluded that it is unlikely that she is an animal in a henge. Nor does she contain a Tailed-Beast. We think she hails from another continent entirely. Her appearance and complexion are somewhat unique and support this hypothesis." Crow paused to take a breath. "She claims that six other Servants like her will appear after a time. They will do battle for the 'Holy Grail'."

"That is troublesome." The Third Hokage shook his head. "I would not invite conflict to our doorstep."

"She knows not where the fighting will take place, or when it will occur. The timeline she describes gives us several months of wiggle room. Saber has made promises to try and minimize civilian involvement." The Anbu cleared his throat. "From her demeanor, she seems to consider everyone who isn't a 'Servant' to be a civilian."

"I see. Is there anything else?"

"No, Hokage-sama. We await your orders."

"In that case, let her be. Treat Saber as any other summons. She is to be considered a companion of Shirou's. She may accompany him in battle, as long as she understands that the Chunin Exams are non-lethal." Hiruzen paused. "I do not enjoy having another war hanging overhead, not even one that won't involve 'civilians'. Still, it is better to have a strong ally than not."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Very well, dismissed."

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Shirou sat in his room. At first, the second stage of the exams had been fun. He and Haku had gotten into some minor skirmishes, and they'd met Karin! Another family member! It was so exciting. All the stuff that had happened after that... ugh. Not that he was unhappy with how things had turned out, but who knew living in a Hidden Village would require so many interviews. He saw the point. Orochimaru and Saber were both powerful figures and ensuring the safety of the village came first. He totally agreed. It was where Haku and Naruto lived after all.

From the doorway, a purple bag was thrown in a lazy arc. Saber, who resolutely stood in the center of the room, reached out and caught it. Then it exploded. A thick, black smoke filled the air. Shirou began to move. Was this a part of the exam, or was it something else? Before he could get off the bed, the redhead was scooped up in strong arms. Shirou's stomach turned. Whomever had grabbed him moved with breakneck speed. In a moment, they were out of the smoke. Shirou was being carried over the shoulder of someone. His eyes watered, and he couldn't make much sense of the situation. He was about to summon Hiramekarei, when his abductor heaved him off their shoulder and against a wall.

"So," A voice purred in his ear. "You really did remove Orochimaru's seal..."

"Wha?" Shirou was shocked. Something warm and soft pressed against his chest. His assailant wasn't attacking him so much as touching him inappropriately. Shirou gulped. "What do you want, Anko-san?"

The special-jonin rubbed his thigh with one hand, while whispering in his ear. "You do me a favor, and I'll do you one." Her other hand ran through his hair. In a breathless whisper, she added. "How does that sound?"

"It sounds like you abducted my Master for a frivolous reason." Saber stood to the side. The Servant had her arms crossed, and wore a disapproving look.

"Hey now," Anko turned her head and rubbed her cheek against Shirou's as she regarded the other woman . "This is a private conversation, why don't you run along?"

"My place is at Shirou's side." Instead of her usual calm voice, Saber's tone was icy. "Abducting him from his room could be seen as an act of aggression. As his Servant, I must ensure his safety."

"There's aggression, and then there's Aggression." The purple-haired kunochi turned her head slightly and... licked him!

"That's enough!" Shirou shoved her away, trying not to feel what he was pushing against. "Anko-san is this part of the exam?"

"Yes, instructor, is this part of the exam." Saber's eyes narrowed. "I would hate to think I showed restraint for nothing."

Anko let go of her prey and crossed her arms. Her expression had turned dark. "No, this is a private matter. So I'd appreciate it if you left us alone!"

Shirou moved before the situation could devolve worse. Especially since Shirou could see Haku peeking around the corner. The lone male figure positioned himself between the two woman that could undoubtedly kill him in an instant. "Let's just be calm." He spread his arms to the side. "Anko, could you explain just what you want?"

"Hmft!" The scantily clad shinobi grunted. "Fine. I'll tell you. But none of you," She looked over at the corner. "That includes you girly! None of you can't tell anyone about this." She reached up to her trenchcoat, and pulled it to the side. It revealed a mark on her neck. A familiar-looking seal.

Shirou gasped. "Did Orochimaru mark you too?!"

"Yeah, he did." Anko's demeanor had lost all playfulness. "A long time ago. It's about time I got rid of it." A smile crept across her face. "And you're just the ninja to help me."

"Uhm..." Shirou took a step back. "I'd need a piece of his body..."

"Got one right here!" Anko pulled out a severed hand from her coat. "Thanks to your girlfriend over there."

"I am not his girlfriend. I am a Servant." Saber glared at the other woman.

"Ok, but shouldn't we, I don't know, have a plan?" Shirou waved his hand between them. "The last time I did this, Orochimaru was summoned."

"All the better for me to kill him!" Anko's smile turned scary. Well, scarier.

"But, shouldn't we have more people?" Shirou glanced around. "Even Saber couldn't keep him from escaping the last time."

The Servant bowed. "Once again, I apologize Master."

Shirou reached out to put a hand on the blonde's shoulder, then thought better of it. "There's nothing to apologize for Saber." He smiled. "You saved my life. You can use my name y'know."

"Of course, Shirou." Saber straightened and looked him in the eye. "I will try not to be as formal in the future."

"C'mon Shirou." Anko draped herself across his back. "Give me what I want."

"No." He shook his head, purposely keeping his eyes forward. "Not without discussing it with Inoichi first."

"You're no fun." Anko pouted, but gave in. She led the group through the tower. It didn't take long to find Shirou and Haku's teacher.

"Mitrarashi, couldn't you wait until tomorrow?" The blonde jonin hung his head and rubbed his temples with a hand. "That's when we were going to decide about this."

"One, you might have said 'no'." Anko held up two fingers. "Two, that would be another day I have to have this thing on me, and that He gets to live!"

"I can promise you the answer won't be 'No'." Inoichi looked up. "Orochimaru is an S-Ranked threat. The Hokage himself wants to be present to ensure his capture or defeat."

"Inoichiiiii" Anko whined. That sounded so much like Ino, Shirou did a double-take.

"It'll be first thing in the morning." The Yamanaka let out a sigh and smiled. "You can wait just a bit longer can't you?"

Anko glared at him. "Not like I have a choice." She then turned to Shirou. "You're no fun." With that as a parting remark, she left.

"So, tomorrow?" Shirou looked at his teacher.

"Probably at the crack of dawn." Inoichi patted Shirou on the shoulder. "Get some rest, and don't worry about Anko. She's just... excited right now." The trio turned to leave. "Oh, but Saber should probably make sure she doesn't try anything during the night."

Somehow, Shirou wasn't comforted. The rest of the day he couldn't focus on anything, and his dreams that night were bizarre. Anko was a very... memorable person. As Inoichi had warned, the purple-haired ninja came into their room shouting at the crack of dawn. Saber intercepted her, but the special jonin wouldn't leave. Not even as he and Haku dressed. As if it wasn't embarrassing enough to do in front of Saber. The group made their way to the basement of the tower, and waited. Anko's energy seemed to build and build. She alternated between playing with kunai, and invading his personal space. Shirou was really starting to fear for his innocence when the doors opened and the Third Hokage entered.

A cadre of Anbu entered with him, and Shirou could make out more figures that stayed in the hall. It looked like this was serious.

"Now?!" Anko bounced up and down.

Hiruzen nodded. "The preparations are complete." He motioned to the large circle in the center of the room. "Shirou, when you are ready."

Anko stripped her jacket off, and left it in a pile on the floor. She nearly skipped as she moved to the center of the room.

Shirou followed behind her. "You might want to lay down, Anko-san."

"Oh?" She looked at him with lidded eyes as she lowered herself to the ground. "You'll be gentle won't you?"

"I don't know." Shirou scratched his head. "Sasuke was unconscious at the time."

Anko closed her eyes with a small smile. Shirou knelt down next to her. "Trace On". He probed the seal. It was different. He couldn't tell how exactly. The details of how the seal operated were modified, but the basic functions were all the same. Taking in chakra. Converting it. Releasing it. Growing larger. Allowing sensory access. And there, reviving the creator. The seal would consume itself just like Sasuke's had. Shirou pressed the severed had to Anko's neck. Chakra with the right intent, in the right place... The seal started to glow, and flowed into the hand. Shirou dropped it to the ground, and then quickly helped Anko to her feet. Her neck rolled. Removing the seal had taken a lot out of her.

A pair of Anbu came to help them move. In the center of the circle, Orochimaru's body grew. It didn't take more than a few seconds. The hand quickly reformed into a pale body. At the corners of the room, four Anbu simultaneously performed a jutsu, and a shimmering field sprang up against the walls. Time passed. Eventually, an Anbu wearing a crow mask approached. Orochimaru didn't respond. He knelt and held his open palm over the Sannin's body. Green chakra glowed in his hand.

"The body is alive, but not for long." The masked ninja spoke as he ran his hand up and down. "The chakra levels are fatal. Nearly nonexistent. In a few minutes there won't be any at all."

"I see." The Hokage spoke up. "This isn't unexpected. Orochimaru would not leave such a flaw alone for long." He made a motion with his hand. "We'll wait until the body dies. Then we'll decapitate it, and seal the pieces into separate scrolls. Take them to T&I. His corpse may provide some answers. Treat it like an A-Rank dangerous substance."

Shirou stood against the wall. Haku and Saber were at his side. On the ground, Anko stirred. She blearily looked up. "Hey, lover. Was it as good for you as it was for me?"

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Haku followed Shirou out of the secured basement. The number of jonin and anbu that had been gathered was astounding. Orochimaru must be a real threat. Outside, they encountered Inoichi. The blonde jonin smiled and waved at them. He then walked with them back to their room.

"Sensei," Shirou spoke up. "Anko said they had confirmation about the seal. Does that mean that Naruto's team made it to the tower."

"Not a bad piece of reasoning, Shirou." Their teacher gently shook his head. "But, I'm afraid I can't confirm anything about the other teams."

Haku nodded. "Any information we had about who they are would provide a tactical advantage in the next round."

"Exactly." Inoichi stroked his chin. "So I can't tell you if they're safe because they passed the second exam, or if it's because they failed and are out of the forest."

Shirou beamed. "Thank you Inoichi-san."

"For what?" The jonin turned around and gave them a wave. "All I did was point out two possibilities." He smirked as he walked out the door. "Now get ready. The second stage finishes tomorrow."

"Hmmm..." Haku sat down and drummed her fingers on her leg. "Finishes. So we aren't done yet?"

"I don't know." Shirou flopped down beside her. "But Naruto is safe. That's good." A few seconds passed. "I wonder if Karin's ok."

"I'm sure she is." Haku placed her hand on her brother's shoulder. "She has two scrolls and is an excellent sensor. All she had to do was avoid other teams on her way to the tower."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Shirou leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

Haku leaned up against him. Several minutes passed in silence. Saber stood in the center of the room, ever-vigilant. Haku could feel the ebb and flow of her chakra. It was the same as Zabuza's training. Even resting, the Servant produced as much energy as their father had at full force. Haku idly wondered why it wasn't visible. Zabuza's had been when he went all-out. It must have been a quick of their sensei. They had been woken up early. Haku was tired. She closed her eyes and dozed next to Shirou. After the forest, Saber, questions, and Anko, it was the first day of true rest they'd gotten since the exams began. It passed far too quickly.

The next morning, they were called to the first floor of the tower. It was a large room, fifty by eighty yards. There was an twenty foot tall statue of the Ram handsign against the far wall. A raised platform was underneath it that extended into a semi-circle. The Hokage stood in the center. In a line behind him were the jonin instructors. Flanking him to the left and right were Ibiki and Anko. The two T&I ninjas had three chunin each accompanying them. Haku and Shirou lined up with the rest of the passing genin. Saber stood off to the side. It looked like seven teams had passed. Twenty people.

To the Hokage's left, Anko spoke up. "First of all, congratulations on finishing the second exam." Her words hung in the air. The genin shuffled and muttered to each other. Haku didn't make a sound. She was Shirou's shadow. Wearing a mask. Going un-noticed. It felt safe, comfortable. "Alright now pay attention!" Anko resumed her speech. "Hokage-sama is going to explain the third exam to you! You'd better listen carefully everyone." She turned to her right and bowed. "Lord Hokage, they're all yours."

"Hrm." Hiruzen grunted while nodding. He then stepped forward to the edge of the dais. "First before I tell you about the third exam, let me explain the purpose of having these exams in the first place." The Hokage then continued on about the history of Shinobi wars, champions, the exams, and the number of mission requests each Hidden Village got.

Haku only half-listened. She was more interested in her fellow competitors. Something was off. This room was too big for a simple ceremony. Even if the maximum number of participants had passed, they'd easily fit in a room a tenth the size. No, a room this big, with balconies overlooking the floor had one purpose. Fighting. They were going to spar next. The Ice ninja looked side to side. The Third Exam was the main spectacle, wasn't it? It seemed odd to hold it here, with less than a dozen spectators.

The Hokage's speech was interrupted by a Leaf jonin appearing in front of him. He wore his headguard over his hair, and was kneeling in front of the dais. "Hokage-sama, before you continue. Please allow me, Hayate Gekko, appointed as proctor to the Third Exam to speak first."

"So be it."

"It's nice to meet you all." Hayate spoke as he stood up. He coughed as he turned his head towards the assembled genin. "There's something *cough* I'd like *cough* all of you to do before *cough* the Third Exam." He then raised his hand to his mouth as he was wracked with another series of coughs. "Uhhh, we have to have a preliminary exam before we can move on to the real one. It's just at this stage we have to speed things up a bit. As Hokage-sama said, at the third stage a lot of important guests will be watching. We can't afford to waste their time. They've come to see only the best."

The proctor paused, and looked over the assembled chunin. "The preliminaries will be held immediately. The winners will be determined by one on one combat. Sudden death. This is not an exercise or a spar. There are twenty of you remaining, so that means we'll need ten matches. The surviving candidates will advance to the Third Exam."

"As for the rules, there are none. You will fight until one dies, admits defeat, or is rendered incapable of continuing the contest. Naturally, those who are losing are urged to concede defeat in order to avoid a fatal outcome. Furthermore, as proctor I'm given a certain amount of leeway in judging the matches." Hayate had another coughing fit. "I'll intervene if a match seems hopeless, to save as many lives as possible. Now it's time to reveal what fate has been chosen for you."

He turned and nodded to Anko. She said something into a headset she wore, and a panel on the back wall raised up.

"The names of each pair of opponents are chosen completely at random. Before each match, the names will appear on the display behind me." Hayate explained. The board flickered to life, and names flashed across it before settling on two: Rock Lee vs. Kankuro.

"Yosh!" The green-clad genin gave a whoop and leaped into the air. "Gai-sensei! I get to start! I will show everyone the fires of youth!" An instructor jonin in the back gave Lee a thumbs up. From the way he was dressed, he could only be the genin's teacher.

"Alright." Hayate ignored the outburst. "Those whose names have been drawn approach. Everyone else move to the balconies."

Haku turned and followed Shirou, who was following Naruto. Karin's team headed towards the opposite set of stairs. The redheaded girl looked torn, but eventually decided to accompany her fellow Grass genin.

"That's too bad." Sasuke grumbled as he climbed the stairs.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto turned, his head was tilted and his eyes closed.

"Lee." Sasuke motioned with his head. "I wanted to fight him, guess I'll have to wait until the finals."

"Yeah, bushy-brows is tough!" Naruto grinned. "But who says you'll make it to the finals, eh? You might have to go against me!"

Sasuke's smirk matched his teammate's. "I'd like that. You're another one of the people I want to fight."

"Hey!" Naruto pointed at the Uchiha. "What do you mean by that?"

"Hn." Sasuke closed his eyes and kept walking.

Down below, the black-clad genin squared off with the green-clad one.

"Oh, that was well done." Shirou commented to Haku's side.

"What was?" Naruto turned his head to ask.

"Kankuro just switched himself and Karasu." Shirou replied. "It was really smooth."

Sasuke turned his head. "What or who is Karasu?"

"It's his puppet." Shirou motioned with an arm. "The one he carries around on his back."

"How do you know it's name?" Behind them, leaning against the wall, was Kakashi Hatate. He was reading from a little orange book, and looked like he'd been relaxing there the whole time.

Shirou turned to look at the jonin. "I can tell the name and history of a weapon by looking at it."

"Oh, is that so?" The older ninja drawled as he flipped a page. "You shouldn't offer up that kind of information so easily."

"What? That I can do it? Or that Kankuro's puppet's name is Karasu?"

"Yes."

Haku turned back to the fight. She subtly made the hand signs for her visual jutsu. Her ability to sense heat was a closely guarded secret. Unfortunately, it wasn't very effective at range. That was why she'd worked on improving it with this technique. A thin film of ice formed on top of her eyes. Virtually unnoticeable, it enhanced differences in temperature. It was like putting on a pair of glasses, the variation in degree came into focus. Shirou was right. The 'Kankuro' standing in front of Lee was room temperature. The body that he had just lowered to the ground was warm.

"Begin!" Hayate started the match with a shout.

Lee rushed forward. Karasu assumed a fighting stance. The puppet began to trade taijutsu attacks with Lee. The Leaf ninja had the clear upper hand. Karasu was knocked down time and again, but kept getting back up.

"I see." Lee leapt back. He held his fist in front of him. "You are a strong opponent. I will have to strike you harder to keep you down!"

Karasu didn't respond. Lee moved to engage again. Before the puppet had done a good job of blocking the genin's blows, this time each hit set it stumbling. A roundhouse from Lee caught it clean in the head, which flew off.

Lee stood with his mouth agape. "I.. I did not mean to strike him so hard!" He clasped his hand together and bowed. "Please, forgive me!"

Karasu's body leaned forward. From its neck, it spewed a cloud of gas. The smoke prevented everyone from seeing the action, but sounds of combat emanated from its center. Lee emerged with the headless puppet in pursuit. Flakes of 'skin' fell off as Karasu followed after Lee. The green-clad genin stopped and began to parry the attacks. A scythe emerged from Karasu's torso. Lee barely avoided it. A second pair of arms popped up from the puppet's sides. Every forearm slid open to reveal a blade. Lee was put completely on the defensive. He ducked and weaved behind and to the side of the knives before performing a series of back flips to get some distance.

"That gas was poisonous." Kakashi said from the wall. "Lee is starting to slow down. At this rate, the match is over."

"Ha ha, you would think that my Eternal Rival!" Maito Gai walked over. "My Lee is strong enough to prevail." In a booming voice he called out. "Lee, you can take them off!"

"What?" The green-clad genin paused. "You said I wasn't supposed to do that unless I was protecting someone precious to me."

Gai gave him a thumbs up. "I'll give you special permission this time. So show us what you've got!"

"Yes! Gai-sensei!" Lee jumped on top of the giant statue of two hands. He knelt down and removed a pair of weighted belts from underneath his leg-warmers.

"What? You have to be kidding me?" Kankuro had stood up once Karasu's nature had been revealed. While Lee was removing his weights, he reattached his puppet's head. "Taking off some weights might make you a little faster, but it won't matter against Karasu!"

The cat-hooded puppeteer motioned, and Karasu flew though the air towards Lee. At the same time the Leaf ninja dropped his weights. They landed with a crash and threw up a huge amount of dust and stone as they cracked the floor. Lee jumped down after them angling towards his opponent. There was the sound of an impact in the cloud, and then Karasu's body came flying out - making another crater in the ground.

"Gai..." Kakashi said from the side. "Isn't that a little much?"

"Ha ha. Watch my Eternal Rival!" Maito gave a thumbs up. "My Lee is a genius of hard-work. His taijutsu is top-notch!"

Lee was a blur. He moved as fast as Shirou did when Haku's brother used Hiramekarei to enhance his body. Karasu was thrown side to side like a ping-pong ball.

"Stop!" Kankuro cried out. "I surrender!"

"Yosh!" Lee blurred to a stop. He gave his opponent a thumbs up. "It was a most youthful match!"

"Yeah, yeah." The Sand genin walked to his fallen puppet, and began to tenderly pick up it's pieces with his bare hands. "Karasu, what did he do to you?"

Haku felt sorry for him. Lee was escorted out by a squad of doctors. Haku didn't know what was in that smoke bomb, but getting immediately medical help was a good idea. Lee tried to protest... and then Gai-sensei hit him in the face with a haymaker. Haku started to appreciate Inoichi a little bit more, despite the enduring crying scene between Gai and Lee that followed.

"Heh. I knew bushy-brows would win!" Naruto held his hands behind his head. "Not that I would've had a problem either!"

"Oh?" Kakashi flipped a page. "Was that before or after Shirou told you about the puppet?"

"Well..."

"The way he controlled Karasu." Shirou had his hand on his chin. "That was pretty interesting. You think you could do that with other weapons?"

"It's hard, but not impossible." The bun-haired teammate of Lee spoke up. "It's easier if you have something to channel the chakra through." She shrugged. "Pure chakra threads are hard to maintain on their own."

"Hmmmm..."

Haku smiled. She knew what her brother was going to try and do next. Shirou always tried new jutsu, most of them didn't work at all. This was one that might improve his swordsmanship, so there wasn't any doubt he'd try and reverse engineer it. She nudged him in the side. "Talk to Inoichi first." She whispered. "He'll probably have a tip or two."

"Ah, good point Haku." Shirou turned. She could make out his smile, even under his hood. "I'll be sure to do that!"

Once the field was cleared, the scoreboard flashed to life again. After some flickering of names, it settled on the next two competitors: Temari vs. Naruto Uzumaki.

"Yeah! I'll win for sure! Dattebayo!" Naruto jumped in the air while pumping his fist, giving a fair impression of Rock Lee.

"Go out there and win." Shirou patted him on the back. "I know you can do it!"

"Good luck." Sakura added.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, but Haku could see his smile.

"G-good luck, N-Naruto!" One of the other genin spoke to the Uzumaki as he made his way down. She had short black hair, and blank white eyes.

"Heh, I don't need luck Hinata!" Naruto rubbed underneath his nose. "I'll win this one easy!"

Haku watched Naruto descend down the stairs. Along the other balcony, the female Sand ninja matched his pace. The two walked to the center of the room where Hayate awaited them.

Naruto pointed his finger at his opponent. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! The Number One ninja of the Leaf! I'm going to win!"

"Oh?" Temari raised her chin, and put her hands on her hips. "Cocky little thing aren't you?"

The blonde ninja reversed his hand, so that he was pointing at himself with his thumb. "I'm going to be Hokage one day! Dattebayo!"

"Ha! The Leaf Village must be desperate if that's the case!"

"*Ahem*" To their side, Hayate let out a cough that wasn't raspy. "If you two are ready, let's begin." He looked from side to side. Both genin nodded. "Alright then: Start!" He took a step back, watching both combatants.

Naruto immediately leapt forward, not pausing at all. Smart or reckless, Haku couldn't tell. From Temari's outfit, she didn't look like she specialized in taijutsu. Her hair was kept reasonably short. Her posture wasn't that of someone expecting a fight. Finally, that fan of hers... It didn't look like much of a weapon. Haku admitted to herself that her opinion was likely skewed from living with Zabuza and Shirou. They had a habit of hauling around what could only be described as a monstrous sword.

The Sand ninja shimmered, and Naruto was thrown backwards. "Is that all you've got?" Temari sneered.

"Not even close!" The Uzumaki made a cross hand seal. "Multi-shadow clone jutsu!" A dozen orange-clad ninjas appeared charging. The smoke obscured their positions. It hadn't blocked Haku's heat sensory, but her jutsu was horrible at depth-perception. This, compounded with the fact that Shadow Clones made heat (unlike most clones), left her in the same boat as everyone else. She didn't know which Naruto was real.

Temari's eyes widened a fraction. "What in the world?" She leapt backwards, away from the blonde hoard. She pulled the Iron Fan out from behind her back. "Wind Style: Cutting Scythe!" Air blasted outwards, directed at the clones. They vanished in puffs of smoke. The real Naruto was thrown backwards again. This time, cuts appeared all over his body. "Heh, wasting all that chakra. You should just quit now."

Naruto stood up, wiping blood from his mouth. "Don't tell me to give up! It's never going to happen!" He made a cross sign again. "Naruto Uzumaki ranged barrage!" Another swarm of shadow clones surrounded him. This time, they each pulled out a brace of kunai and threw them en'mass.

"You never learn do you?" Temari shimmered again, and the kunai flew wide. "Attacks like that are useless against me! Wind Style: Cutting Scythe!" She swept her fan forward in an arc again. As the mass of air flew towards the Narutos, they boosted a third of their number into the air. One Naruto required two to escape the attack, but this time the real Naruto didn't receive any damage.

The surviving clones let out a guttural shout. They drew more kunai and pelted Temari from above. The attacks hit as much as last time. Haku noted that they were having an effect though. While none of them connected, Temari didn't seem to be able to use her shimmering deflection and attack at the same time. Not that it didn't leave the Sand ninja plenty of time to retaliate once the barrage ended.

"Jumping won't save you!" Temari opened her fan wider. "Wind Style: Scythe Tornado!" The currents she summoned flew beneath the air-borne Narutos. They gathered there before exploding upwards in a cyclone.

Haku regarded the jutsu calmly. It showed great control, to redirect that mass of air with only her chakra. While it looked like she needed the fan to create such a large vortex in the first place, it was a sign of talent to manipulate it after it was let loose. The Narutos tried to throw one of their number out of the way, but it was too late. The winds caught all of them. The clones popped, and the single Naruto remaining was held up by the winds as they cut him repeatedly.

Temari walked forward a few steps, and planted her fan on the ground. The cyclone carried Naruto closer to her, before giving out. He fell from above and landed on her fan. His back bent at an alarming angle before the Sand ninja dropped him to the ground. Hayate walked forward. "Naruto Uzumaki is unable to continue. The match goes to..."

"Wait!" From the floor, Naruto looked up. "I'm not done yet!"

Temari sniffed. "You can't stand with those injuries. The match is over."

"Wanna bet?" Naruto snarled. He planted his hands on the ground and heaved himself to his knees. "Besides, I'm not the one who's going to finish this! They are." On cue, the kunai that were scattered at Temari's feet exploded, revealing more shadow clones. With a cry of 'Get her!', they dog-piled the female ninja.

The sound of punches landing continued for a while, before a female voice rung out. "Enough!" A blast of wind shot straight up, dispelling the clones. "Shadow clones will never beat me!" Temari was kneeling. Her face was bloody and bruised.

"I know." Naruto stood in front of her. "That's why I lied when I said I wasn't going to be the one who finishes things!" The blonde brought his hand down in a haymaker. It knocked the Sand ninja down. "Do ya' want some more, 'ttebayo?" The Sand ninja lay unmoving on the ground.

Hayate moved between the two genin. "Temari is unable to continue. The winner of this match is... Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Yes!" The blonde ninja pumped his fist into the air again.

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"Congratulations Naruto!" Shirou smiled as he clapped his cousin on the back.

"Heh heh heh!" The blonde beamed back, with his hands crossed behind his head. "She was no match for me! 'ttebayo!"

"Uhm..." The white-eye girl had approached. "Na-Naruto!"

"Huh?" Naruto turned around. "You say something, Hinata?"

The girl was holding something. Her head was bowed, and her fingers drummed against a small jar nervously. "I... thought... maybe... *gulp*" Her cheeks flushed and she started looking side to side. Finally, she just held up the jar she was holding.

Naruto leaned down and squinted. "What's...uh... this?"

"It's a healing ointment." Hinata's female jonin spoke up.

"For me?" The blonde Uzumaki tilted his head. "What for?"

Shirou looked back and forth between the two younger ninjas. Hinata didn't seem to want to explain herself, and Naruto just looked puzzled. Had no one ever given him a gift before? Or was he doing the polite thing and refusing twice?

"Take it, Naruto. Go ahead." The jonin prompted him.

Naruto turned and nodded before turning back. "Thanks Hinata, that's uh, real nice of you." He held the jar in his hands. Hinata played with her fingers before shaking her head and dashing back to her teammates.

"So her name's Hinata?" Shirou looked down at his cousin. "You should introduce me to your friends one day, Naruto."

"Uh, yeah, my friends." The blonde gave a nervous chuckle as he opened up the jar. There was a white cream inside. Naruto dabbed some on his finger and drew it across one of the cuts he'd received. There was hissing and steam as the wound sealed itself before their eyes. "Wow! This stuff works fast!" He turned to his pink-haired team mate. "You want some Sakura?"

Shirou turned his attention back to the ground. Temari was being led off in a stretcher. Once again, despite the patient's protests. Kankuro walked beside her. Hayate moved back to the center of the room. The electronic board flickered names again, until the next match was displayed.

Gaara vs. Shino Aburame

Both teens turned and walked down their stairs in unison. Neither one of them talked, and neither one moved with any urgency. They approached Hayate at the same time. Shirou narrowed his eyes. He had them reinforced for the previous matches, and he was able to make out a cloud of dust around the Sand ninja. No, not dust. Sand. Only a few specks, but they had just spun quickly. For a second they came together, before dispersing. They left a small insect crushed on the ground.

"Alright, the next match begins..." Hayate raised his hand.

"Wait." Shino spoke up. "I forfeit. Why? Because my jutsu is ineffective, and I would die." Without waiting for a response, the sunglasses wearing ninja turned and walked back to the stairs at the same pace.

Gaara grunted, before he turned and walked back as well. The redhead's arms were crossed, and his eyes had a vicious glint in them.

Shirou pondered what had happened. Shino wasn't talking, but both his team mates looked visibly relieved that he hadn't fought. How odd.

"The ninja with the gourd is powerful." Saber spoke from behind him. "He is not someone to be taken lightly. It was wise for the other boy to forfeit."

"Saber's right." Inoichi nodded. "I'm glad neither of you wound up against him."

"Really?" Haku's voice was soft behind her hood.

"His team was the first to arrive at the tower. They shattered the previous record." Their instructor explained. "Gaara didn't have so much as a scratch or scuff on him." The Yamanaka raised his hand to his chin. "Unfortunately, this means we don't have any information about his abilities. That's going to put his opponents in the third exam at quite the disadvantage."

The next match was Sasuke vs. Arai. Shirou looked on with interest. Karin's team member strutted out, while Sasuke calmly walked with his hands in his pockets.

"This isn't going to be an interesting match." Kakashi turned to Inoichi. "Not unless that Grass genin is more skilled than he lets on."

"We'll see."

After a minute, Shirou had to agree with Naruto's sensei. It hadn't been an interesting match. Both had engaged in taijutsu, but Sasuke was clearing better. Whatever tricks or techniques Arai might have had were too late at that point. He couldn't get any room to perform them. All too quickly, he was on the ground unconscious.

"I guess that was lucky for Sasuke." Shirou turned to his teacher. "Now his opponents won't know what he can do either."

Inoichi nodded.

The board spun again.

Tenten vs. Kiba Inuzuka

"Yeah! I'll show you how it's done!" The genin with the dog gave a savage smile before leaping off the balcony.

"Tenten!" Gai shouted. "You cannot allow his flames of youth to outshine yours!" Shirou turned to see the green-clad jonin striking a pose. "Go! Show him the passion that all members of Team-Gai possess!"

The female kunochi with hair buns drooped her head and gave it a shake. She brought a hand up to her forehead. "I'm going Gai-sensei, just... never mind." She gave her team a quick smile before gracefully launching herself into the air. While Kiba had jumped straight down and ran towards the center of the room, Tenten leapt over him to land in the center first. She put her arms on her hips as she addressed her opponent. "What took you so long?"

Kiba held up a clawed fist. "I could've done that if I wanted too!" He then took the dog he was carrying out of his jacket. "You ready Akamaru? We're going to go full steam from the start!" The small dog gave a short bark.

Hayate coughed again. "We will now proceed with the fifth match. Kiba Inuzuka vs. Tenten." He looked back and forth between the two genin, his right arm raised above his head. "If you're ready, then... Begin!" He brought his arm down and jumped back.

Kiba crouched down, energy swirling around his body. His fingernails elongated and grew into claws. At the same time, Akamaru jumped onto his back. "Beast Human Clone!" He roared the name of his jutsu, and suddenly there were two of him. The dog had transformed into a near perfect copy of the Inuzuka.

Tenten hadn't been standing still. When Hayate signaled the start of the match, she back-flipped away. In mid-air, she drew a brace of kunai and threw them at Kiba. Shirou grasped the projectiles in flight. She was good. Her shots always went where she aimed, and her ability to lead and corner off escape routes was on par with his own. The Sword ninja wondered if she ever used a bow. If she did, they might exchange techniques.

The knives flew in a simple pattern. They hadn't spread out much by the time they reached their target. Kiba and Akamaru jumped to the side. Each went opposite of the other, trying to flank the girl. Shirou was impressed. The genin's speed was good. His stance looked odd. He used his hands to propel himself and grant him extra traction. It allowed for some sudden turns, as he immediately demonstrated. The two Kibas stopped their moment to the side, and then sprinted towards Tenten.

In response, she jumped into the air again, leaving behind a field of caltrops. The Kibas managed to pull themselves up short before pursuing her again. In mid-air Tenten let loose with several more volleys of kunai and shuriken. This time, she accounted for the Inuzuka's increased speed. Kiba barely managed to arrest his forward momentum in time. He and Akamaru then started dodging for all they were worth. When Tenten reached the ground, the distance between the competitors had grown.

"You're out of luck." The kunochi wore a smile. "I practice everyday against people who try and close to melee with me. You're not as fast as either of them!"

"Some stupid little toothpicks won't stop us!" One of the Kibas boasted. "Fang Passing Fang!" The pair of Dog ninja threw themselves into the air. As they flew towards Tenten, they started rotating so quickly they looked like whirlwinds.

Tenten thew another barrage. This time Kiba and Akamaru didn't make any effort to dodge. The projectiles hit and were deflected. The female ninja's eyes widened before she threw herself to the side. Kiba's assault left trenches in the stone floor.

"Fang Passing Fang!" The same scene played itself out several more times. Tenten's attacks weren't effective. She was agile enough to avoid Kiba's attacks and maintain distance.

"Time to up my game then." Tenten drew a scroll from her pack. At the next Fang Passing Fang attack, she leapt into the air. The scroll unfurled around her. Where before she'd been limited to one volley at a time, from the parchment she started unleashing projectiles one after another. It was a rapid fire attack. The blades bounced off Kiba and Akamaru at first, but then they landed. Without their rotation, they were vulnerable again. The pair tried to dodge, but the sheer number of thrown weapons boxed them in.

Scythes, spears, nunchucks, kunai, shuriken... the variety of Tenten's weapons was astonishing. "I think she likes weapons even more than you do brother." Haku commented from the side.

"I've seen you use more senbon than that in one fight Haku."

"Yes, but there's a difference between carrying around a senbon and a scythe."

"She's pretty accurate."

"I agree." Haku nodded. "She should be using a more precise weapon. Her aim seems good enough."

"She doesn't know enough about human anatomy."

"Oh?"

"She only practices on targets. Her aim is topnotch, and she leads her opponents well." Shirou explained. "I don't think she could target spots as precisely as you sister."

On the area floor, both Kibas started taking hits. One of them yipped and exploded back into a Akamaru. Tenten started focusing fire on the remaining ninja.

"Inoichi!" Maito Guy cried out. "Your student is most youthful. To be able to so accurately describe Tentens techniques and practice routine from observing just this fight."

The blonde jonin gave Guy a smile. "Shirou is talented with all sorts of weapons. Haku is quite skilled in that area as well."

"Oh ho!" The green-clad jonin gave them a thumbs up. "After the exams are over, you should come and have them work out with me! It'll flame the passions of all of our students to have a worthy rival! Lee and Neji have each other, but either Shirou or Haku will make a good match for my Tenten!"

"Why do I get the feeling our lives are being decided without our consent?" Haku whispered to her brother.

Shirou eyed the enthusiastic jonin. "We might not have any say in this."

Down below, the match was called. Kiba had started to take more and more hits. His white coat was now stained red in several places, and he could no longer stand on his feet. The medic nins were called to look after both him and Akamaru. The next match was delayed as Tenten went around the area re-sealing the multitude of weapons she'd unleashed.

Shirou turned his attention to the defeated ninja. Kiba's stretcher had stopped at the exit. Hinata stood by his side. Shirou was curious. It was rude to eavesdrop, but this was the Chunin Exams. It was expected he rationalized to himself. The redhead reinforced his hearing.

"Huh.. K-Kiba?" The young girl held out another jar in front of her. "Here's... here's some healing ointment. It's for you and Akamaru."

The boy glared at her, before smirking. "Forget about us. You have to worry about yourself Hinata."

"What do you mean?"

"Half of us are done. Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Sakura, the two from the Grass, those two masked ones... and Neji. If you're put up against him, just forfeit. He'll destroy you." Kiba propped himself up with his elbow. "Shino did it. It's smarter than going up against someone you don't have a chance against. For that matter, those two masked ninja. Be careful around them too." The injured boy's eyes glanced over and met Shirou's. "The Gentle Fist isn't good against long reach weapons right? And the female, don't be fooled. She may only have one arm, but she's completely blocking her scent. The only other people in the room that are doing that are the Hokage and Kakashi. You get what I'm saying?" Kiba grimaced, and lowered himself back down. "Just two people, and they made it through the forest. Heh. It raises my fur."

The boy lapsed into silence, and the medics resumed their exit. The girl turned and started back towards the balcony. She glanced up, and saw Shirou looking at her. Hinata ducked her head. Her body quivered. Under his hood, Shirou blushed. Was he scary? On one hand, that's what Zabuza would've liked. On the other, Hinata looked so timid. She had helped out Naruto, and seemed friendly. Shirou didn't want her afraid of him. Perhaps if he was matched up against her he could spar a bit, draw her out. Maybe even let her win... No, Haku wouldn't like that.

Once the floor was clear, Hayate raised his voice. "We'll now resume the examination and select the next two contestants." The digital sign flashed though the remaining names.

Hinata Hyuga vs. Neji Hyuga

Author's Note: I randomized the fights, but Hinata's match still happened.


	9. The Chunin Exams 4

Neji looked down on the broken body of his cousin. He didn't feel a thing. No, that wasn't quite right. He was angry. Angry at Hinata for being so stubborn. For driving him to do what he did.

It wasn't enough that she'd persisted in her fantasy and refused to forfeit. No. What was truly stupid was her decision to attack him with her tenketsu points blocked.

He'd given her advise. She wasn't born with either the skill or temperament to be a ninja. Yet, she wanted to change. It was laughable, people didn't change.

You were what you were, and that was it. Ultimately what you couldn't change was what you were judged by. The only choice was to endure. For a timid girl like Hinata, the Byakugan was a cruel joke. The All-Seeing-Eye for someone who couldn't even meet her opponent's gaze.

If it hadn't been for that Uzumaki brat, Hinata would've quit without a fight. Without getting injured. The skill gap was obvious after he'd blocked her arms.

That should've been the end of it. He'd shown his skill, and defeated her with a minimum of damage. She'd persisted. So Neji endured her ineffective attacks as long as he could, hoping to tire her out.

Foolish.

He was being just as foolish as her. Hoping? Ninja didn't hope, they struck their opponents down. So that's what Neji did. A strike to the heart. It was a crippling blow, yet she stood up again. If she kept on fighting, she would die. She had to know this. Then she MOCKED him? Saying he was the one in pain?

She'd struck a weak point. That he could admit now. The proctor and jonin teachers had stopped him, but it was too late. Even without an additional blow, his cousin's heart could only hold out so long.

Hinata collapsed.

That was what you got when you wanted to change yourself. Destruction was a type of change.

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Karin was shaken by the last match. Such brutality! The redhead gulped. If she had been put up against the Hyuga boy, what would he have done to her? She didn't want to think about it. The next match was coming up. Would she fight in this one?

Ino Yamanaka vs. Karin Uzumaki

She tentatively made her way downstairs. She wasn't a fighter, she was a scout. One-on-one combat? Was it even possible for her to win? At least she was up against another girl. Of the remaining people, it was probably the best opponent she could hope for. Still, with the exception of the forfeit, Leaf ninja had won every match! No wonder they were a Great Village. Karin and her teammates didn't stand a chance. They were just fodder. The preliminaries were to eliminate them before they could be seen in the finals. No one would know how well they'd done. The Hidden Grass would become unbearable after this.

What would she do?

What could she do?

Karin could feel her heart racing. Everything was about to fall apart! She'd...she'd...

"Hey!" A familiar voice called out from above. "Karin-onee-chan! You can do it!"

Naruto.

"Give it your all!"

Shirou.

Up on the balcony, Haku nodded at her as well.

"So, looks like I lucked out." The blonde girl across from her flipped her ponytail. "Shikamaru is so jealous! If you're related to Naruto, then I'm not even going to break a sweat."

Karin glared at her opponent. "Naruto is not a loser! Neither am I! The Uzumaki clan is proud and strong! Now that I've found family..." The redhead bowed her head and took a breath before looking up again. "I'm not going to lose! Dattebayo!" Her hand went to her mouth. Oh Kami, she'd just said it. No, Naruto's stupidity couldn't rub off on her. As a big sister it was her duty to influence him, not the other way around.

Ino chortled. "That's too funny." Her arms wrapped around her waist as her shoulders shuttered. "You're just like him!" She reached up and wiped a tear from her eye. "This is going to be too easy."

"You can do it, Ino-chaaaaaaaan!" From above one of the jonin cheered. A blonde man with a suspiciously similar haircut waved frantically.

Ino's laughter stopped. She brought a hand up to her face as she shook her head. Karin smirked.

"If both of you are ready, then the next match will start." Hayate looked between the two girls. Neither of them made a move. "Alright. Begin!"

Karin settled back into a taijutsu stance. Her opponent's chakra was aggressive. Ino charged. The two girls collided. Karin weaved and dodged, but the blonde landed blow after blow. The redhead wouldn't lose here, not like this! She redoubled her efforts. A sweeping kick, followed by a right palm, leading to a kunai in her left hand. The kick was dodged, the palm strike landed, but her kunai was blocked by Ino's. They'd both drawn weapons at the same time.

The fight raged on. Karin knew it wasn't as impressive as the other fights. Even Arai's had been more technically sound. Too bad for him he'd gone against Sasuke! Lee, Neji, even Naruto. This didn't match up to the previous rounds, but she and Ino were pretty even in taijutsu. No, the Yamanaka was more skilled. For every cut she received, Karin dealt one in return, but her wounds were worse. The Leaf ninja landed some nasty gashes, while avoiding the worst of it.

Both of them paused, panting.

"Had enough?" Ino rasped.

"Not nearly, blondie!" Karin smirked, she still had a trick up her sleeve. Literally. The Uzumaki rolled up her jacket. Revealing her left bicep.

"Ew! What are those?" The Leaf genin wrinkled her nose.

"I'll show you." Karin bit down on her own arm. It released her chakra in a pulse. Biting herself was so much more satisfying than either Arai or Shigeri doing it. She savored the look in her opponent's eyes as her wounds closed. "You ready for round two?" The Grass genin gave a bloody smile to accentuate her point.

"It'll be over before you know it!" Ino had her arms in an odd seal. What was she doing?

Karin's eyes widened. The girl's chakra shot towards her! She barely managed to dodge. The mass of energy continued past, while Ino's body slumped down.

Karin looked between the two. The chakra was almost pure Yin. Mental energy. At the same time, Ino's body was filled with mostly Yang. The chakra mass slowed, and then began to float backwards.

This was her chance! She ran to Ino and placed her kunai against her throat. She maneuvered the unconscious blonde so it was obvious she could end the fight right now.

Hayate waved his hand. "Ino Yamanaka is unable to continue. The winner of the seventh match is Karin Uzumaki!"

"I knew you could do it!" "Good job, Karin!"

The Grass genin looked up at her family and smiled before giving them a thumbs up.

This... this was what she wanted!

She walked back to Shigeri with her head held high. Not that the boy gave her a second look or a word of congratulations. Down below, Ino's chakra returned to her body, and the blonde sat up. She looked none the worse for wear from using her technique, but she still had a multitude of scratches. She walked out with the medics, her shoulders trembling.

"Now, the contestants for the eight match." Hayate turned to look at the electronic sign. It flickered once again before settling on two names.

Shigeri Akita vs. Choji Akimichi

"Ha! Yes!" Her teammate cried out from the side. "I get the fatass!" He swaggered downstairs.

"WHAT!?" The shout came from the other side of the room. Choji looked positively enraged. He marched down the steps to square off in the center of the room. "What did you call me?"

Shigeri smirked. "Fat. A tub of lard. A sad sack of meat. Take your pick, fatty."

The Leaf ninja trembled with rage. Karin winced. This wasn't going to be pretty. Shigeri might be able to beat her in a match, but that wasn't much of a compliment.

"Are you both ready?" Hayate asked. He got two nods. "Alright *cough* begin!"

"BODY EXPANSION JUTSU!" Choji yelled at the top of his lungs. His chakra began to swell. No, not just his chakra, Choji's body began to grow. He ballooned up to three times his previous height, then pulled his head and limbs inside. How did that work?

Shigeri didn't have time to contemplate the details of his opponent's technique. His mouth hung open as he gazed up at the gigantic human ball before him.

Choji began to expel chakra that caused him to rotate. He bored down on the Grass genin like a bowling ball.

To give Shigeri credit, his scream didn't sound entirely like a little girl's. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! I give up! I give up!"

Karin shook her head. It was too late. He'd started shouting after Choji was on top of him. The Leaf ninja rolled over the other boy. His speed didn't abate, and he wound up crashing into a wall. It was a shame Shigeri hadn't dodged to the side... Karin shook her head. Nah, it wasn't.

Choji resumed his normal size. He still wore an angry face as he pulled out a bag of chips. The Leaf genin chomped down on them as he went back upstairs.

Shigeri was taken off the field in a stretcher.

Karin looked side to side. The only other person on her side of the room was that Gaara kid. She suddenly felt nervous, and wished she'd gone over to Shirou and Naruto after her match.

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"That... was an interesting technique." Shirou cocked his head.

"Yeah!" Naruto mirrored his movement. "Who knew fa...bulous Choji could do something like that?"

"Nice save, Naruto." Sakura said in a deadpan. Her blonde teammate laughed nervously as the Akimichi marched past.

"Good job Choji!" Their jonin patted him on the back. "We'll get BBQ tonight!"

"Yeah!" The Akimichi raised his hands. "All I can eat!"

"Uhm... Did I say that?" The bearded jonin rubbed the back of his head.

"You did Asuma-sensei! I heard it!" Choji smiled. "You have to win now Shikamaru!"

The black haired boy seemed to slump down even further as he watched the board show the next contestants. "Oh, man. What a drag." He shook his head. "Troublesome."

"Huh?" Choji looked at the sign. "But you aren't up next."

"Yeah, but that means I have to fight him." Shikamaru pointed a thumb at Shirou's direction.

The board displayed two names: Haku Yuki vs Sakura Haruno

The pair walked down together.

"Oh man!" Naruto grumbled to himself. "Who should I root for? I like Sakura and she's my teammate, but Haku's my sister... in-law. Or something."

Shirou put his had on Naruto's shoulder. "Go ahead and root for Sakura. Haku knows how close the two of you are. She won't mind."

"GO SAKURA!" The blonde bellowed. "YOU CAN DO IT!"

The pair faced off. Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Shannarou!" She shouted as she opened her eyes. "I'm not going to go easy on you Haku!"

Shirou's sister just nodded. "I would expect nothing else Sakura-chan. Let's have a good match."

"Are both of you ready?" Hayate eyed the two girls. "Alright. Begin!"

Sakura pulled out a kunai as she charged. Her slash was blocked by a senbon that Haku drew. Sakura smirked. "If it's taijutsu, I can win!" Another kunai appeared, this time in her left hand. She pressed their locked blades together, and thrust with her other arm.

Haku spun to Sakura's right and disengaged. The pinkette turned to follow, leading with her left. The kunai was once again blocked with a senbon. Naruto's teammate lunged forward, but then looked surprised when nothing happened. She glanced down at her right side. A senbon was poking out of her bicep. The arm hung loosely at her side. Her eyes widened. She dropped the kunai in her left hand and reached for the senbon, but it was too late. Haku moved to her left side and drove another spike into her arm. It dropped lifelessly, mirroring her other appendage.

Sakura growled, and threw a kick combination that drove the Ice ninja back. Haku retreated, and pulled out a brace of senbon. She threw them at Sakura's feet, stopping the other girl's advance.

"The match is over, Sakura-san." Haku intoned. "Please forfeit so I can remove the needles before they do permanent harm."

The other girl hung her head. Her long, pink hair cascaded down around her. "I..." She let out a sigh. "I surrender."

Hayate raised his hands. "The winner of the ninth match is Haku Yuki!"

The hooded ninja walked over to her opponent, and carefully removed her weapons. "You did well, Sakura."

The pinkette shook her head and rubbed her arms. "No, I didn't. Sasuke and Naruto both won, why am I the weak one?"

Haku put her arm around Sakura and walked with her back to their friends. "You just need a reason to get stronger, and someone to help you train." The Ice ninja's eyes twinkled. "I can help you with one of those at least."

Up on the balcony, Neji scowled. "How did she target the tenketsu points in her arms?" The Hyuga crossed his arms. "That's impossible without the Byakugan!"

"Yosh!" Next to him, Rock Lee held his hand out in a fist. "Gai-sensei! I too wish to learn how to strike the tenketsu without the Byakugan! If I cannot, I will do a hundred laps around the village!"

"Yes! Let the flames of youth burn ever brighter!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

Shirou tuned out the rest of the conversation.

"Now, will the final two genin make their way down?" Hayate called from below.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered. He didn't have to look at the board to know what the final match was.

Shikamaru Nara vs Shirou Uzumaki

The Nara slouched, with his hands in his pockets. It was stark contrast to Shirou, who had to stand up straight, lest Kubikiribocho throw him off-balance.

Hayate looked between the last two combatants. "The final round will now begin. Are both of you ready?" He got two nods. "Alright. Then... Begin!"

Shirou looked at his opponent. Both of his teammates had engaged in taijutsu. Well, Choji had turned into a human bowling ball, and Ino used something strange against Karin at the end. Did Shikamaru have some similar trick?

The Nara crouched low, and then rushed forward swiping with a kunai. Shirou drew his butterfly swords and blocked the attack. Odd. Shikamaru didn't use his kunai often. When he did, it was as a distraction, not a... shoot. The shadows of their weapons touched on the ground.

"Shadow Possession complete." Shikamaru's other hand formed the Rat sign. He took a step backwards that Shirou was forced to mimic. "Surrender now. Your swords are longer, I can have you cut yourself." To show what he meant, Shikamaru moved the kunai to his neck. For him, it was a good foot away. Shirou's sword rested against the fabric of his hood.

Shirou closed his eyes and thought. He didn't know how to break this jutsu. If his natural resistance didn't do it for him, then there probably wasn't a way for him to escape. So, options:

He could turn off his chakra flow. That could disrupt the possession. It might require manipulating the opponent's chakra to work. If it didn't, he would have left himself wide open.

He could overload his swords. With his reinforced clothing and body, it wouldn't hurt much. In fact, he was pretty sure he could have them deteriorate in a much less energetic release than normal. That would destroy his weapons, but he had more Shikamaru could use against him.

He could summon a weapon in flight. Hitting his stationary opponent would be simple. He didn't want to hurt Shikamaru that much, and it would be better to conceal his abilities as much as possible.

He could summon Nuibari with its cord around his arm or leg. The Needle Sword had a surprising amount of momentum in its throws. The jerk could pull him away. It might even break the jutsu.

Hiramekarei could easily win it for him. The Chakra Sword didn't require his hands to manipulate. The chakra that came from it could be shaped as he saw fit. Instead of enhancing himself, he could just reach over and grab Shikamaru.

Shirou chose the less obvious option. "I won't surrender. You can't hurt me with my own swords."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru let out a sigh. He brought his hand down in a slash. He missed his own arm by a wide margin, but Shirou's butterfly sword would cut deeply into the redhead's.

Instead there was a resounding clang. Shirou smiled under his hood. "I told you, my own swords are useless against me." Not after he'd reduced their cutting ability, and reinforced his clothing. He didn't have chakra paper sewn into it, but it could still become as hard as metal.

The Nara narrowed his eyes. More stabs were tried in different locations with increasing amounts of force behind them. All proved useless against Shirou's completely covered form. Thankfully, Shikamaru didn't try stabbing him in the eye.

"Ok then." The black-haired boy dropped his kunai, and pulled out some shuriken. Shirou's blades hit the ground, but his hands came up empty. He didn't store his projectiles in the same place. The throwing stars bounced harmlessly off his clothing. "Man, this is such a drag. How is anyone supposed to win against something like that?" Shikamaru rubbed his head. "There's nothing in this hall to use. I could make him slam his head into something since he's taller, but that wouldn't work. Not with his armor. No out of bounds or anything..." The Nara reached into a different pouch and pulled out a piece of paper. "I didn't want to do this, but I'm running out of time."

He walked forward and placed it on Shirou's chest, before retreating.

"Trace On." Shirou analyzed it. The paper contained an explosive seal. It would be powerful enough to shred his clothing, reinforced or not.

"Forfeit, or I detonate it." Shikamaru stared into his eyes.

Shirou looked back. "I won't quit, and your tag won't do anything."

The other boy cursed. "I hope your armor is tough enough that this doesn't kill you... Kai!"

To the side, Hyate braced. The special jonin probably would've stopped the fight if Shirou hadn't been so confident. As it was, he seemed ready to move at a moment's notice.

The note fizzled and let out a plume of smoke. Shirou had activated its safety features. Instead of exploding, the seal released its stored energy over time.

The Nara just shook his head and raised his arm. "Lame. I'm out of chakra already? I forfeit." His shadow withdrew and Shirou could move his body again.

Hayate appeared in front of him and removed the note. "The winner of the tenth round is Shirou Uzumaki!"

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Hiruzen looked at the genin who would proceed to the third exam. Eight Leaf genin: Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, Tenten, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Choji Akimichi, Shirou Uzumaki and Haku Yuki. One from the Grass, Karin Uzumaki, and One from the Sand, Gaara.

"In the final round, each of you will put your battle skills on display. Each of you will demonstrate what you've learned in your respective disciplines." The Hokage paused to let his words sink in. "Accordingly, the final battles will take place one month from now."

"Wait, we're not going to do it here and now?" Naruto spoke up, ever impatient.

"This is to provide a suitable period of preparation." Hiruzen paused before explaining. "In addition to announcing the conclusion of the matches to each countries' leaders, we must also have time to prepare and distribute the summons for the final selection." The old man closed his eyes and smiled. "Not to mention you examinees will need time to prepare and train for something this important." He opened his eyes to stare at the genin. "If you managed to conceal your abilities up until now, you will have a significant advantage going forward. If you did not, take this opportunity to learn some new tricks."

"Will we be returning to our Village to train?" The redheaded Grass genin nervously asked.

Hiruzen nodded. "You may if you wish. We understand that it is a long journey to take, just to come back. Doing so would reduce the time you have to prepare, and thus put you at a disadvantage." The Hokage took a puff on his pipe. "Thus, we will provide accommodations for you. Housing, food, and a place to train in secret will all be available if you so desire."

"Ah," Karin let out a small smile. "That's good."

"Before we can finish things here, there's one more matter that we have to take care of." Hiruzen motioned for Anko to step forward. "Each of you draw a slip from this box."

"Everyone just stay where you are." The purple-haired kunochi said as she advanced. "I'll come to you."

Ibiki waited until they'd all drawn a slip. "Good, now everyone has one. Going from left to right, tell me the number that was on your paper."

"1" "9" "7" "4" "6" "3" "2" "10" "8" "5"

"Very good. Now I will tell you about how the final selection tournament will work." The Hokage waited for Naruto's surprised cry to subside. "Ibiki, you may reveal what ninja have been paired up."

The special jonin turned his clip board around. It showed the following matches:

Neji Hyuga vs Shirou Uzumaki  
Choji Akimichi vs Naruto Uzumaki  
Gaara vs Sasuke Uchiha  
Tenten vs Karin Uzumaki  
Rock Lee vs Haku Yuki

"Oh good, I don't have to fight Naruto, Karin or Haku." Shirou breathed a sigh of relief. "Hey! Wait a second! That shows that Haku and Karin both have to fight an extra round!"

"That is not a disadvantage, Shirou." The Hokage explained. "There will be several judges for the last round, including myself, the shinobi leaders, the Kazekage, and the lords of the various countries that will ultimately be assigning your missions to you. Through this tournament, these judges will be able to make a thorough evaluation of your abilities. They will then decided if any or all of you possess the qualities required of a chunin. Even if someone loses in the first round, they still could become a chunin. So having more matches is an opportunity to be seen more often, and raise your self in their eyes."

The genin looked around at one another, except for Gaara. The Sand genin continued to stare forward with his perpetual frown.

"With that, we are done for now." Hiruzen gave a slight bow of his head. "I will see you again in one month's time."

As he turned to leave, Naruto's voice rose above the ruckus. "You'd better kick Neji's ass, Shirou!"

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Baki waited for Gaara in an adjacent room. Temari had been cleared by the medics. Her injuries were minor. Kankuro hovered around her protectively. Karasu forgotten for the time being as his worrying shifted to his sister. There was a swirl of chakra, and the doors to the room flew open. Didn't Gaara use his hands for anything mundane? "So? How did it go?"

"The exams will continue in one month." Gaara spoke in his usual monotone.

"Oh, that long huh?" Kankuro gave a nervous chuckle.

Gaara continued, without acknowledging his brother's remark. "My opponent will be Sasuke Uchiha." A smile crept to his face. "I'll get to prove my existence again. It's been so long..."

"What?" Temari sat up. "It was less than a week ago we were in the forest! Wasn't that enough?"

Gaara turned to look at her with wide eyes. "Weaklings like that mean nothing! Sasuke. He's the one I've wanted from the start!"

The jinchuriki's grin was becoming more and more worrisome. Baki needed to intervene. "Let's head back. We need to discuss your match in our camp."

The trio turned and nodded at him. Gaara waited with his arms crossed as Kankuro and Temari picked up their weapons. The Sand team then left though one of the tunnels connecting the tower to the outside. Baki hummed. He wondered what the ruling would be for a genin that approached the tower in this fashion. It would be breaking the spirit of the test of surviving the forest. On the other hand, it would be even more impressive.

The silence stretched on. Gaara was content not to speak, and his siblings didn't want to provoke him. Baki was fine with it. Better to discuss what they needed to away from prying ears. Even after they exited into the Hidden Village proper, no one spoke. It wasn't until they arrived at their camp that Kankuro started looking around curiously.

"Hey, where is everyone?" The puppet user cocked his head. "Did they start early?"

"That's what I need to brief you about." Baki motioned to a tent. Once everyone was inside, he cleared his throat. "The Kazekage is dead." Kankuro and Temari looked shocked, if not saddened. Gaara didn't react. "He was killed by Orochimaru - a Missing Nin of the Leaf."

Temari crossed her arms. "What does that mean?"

"Long term?" Baki shook his head. "We don't know. Mid term? The attack is off. We're not even sure if the planned invasion was your father's idea. The Snake Sannin had been impersonating him for an unknown amount of time." Baki looked at each genin in turn. "Short term? We've pulled out of the exam."

Kankuro and his sister exchanged looks. "That's a relief. Those Leaf genin were something else!"

"We just got unlucky." Temari sniffed. "Mine wasn't anything special, not like that kid that tore apart Karasu."

"Hey!" Kankuro wore a smile. "I think losing to someone who made more than three dozen solid clones and kept going isn't degrading. He just got the drop on you. You'd take him in a rematch, no problem!"

Temari smiled back. "Yeah, too bad I didn't get to show everyone what I'm capable of. Not that it matters." She arched her back and stretched. "I'm just happy the mission is off. I'd much rather attend an exam as just a participant, y'know?"

"No." Gaara spoke one word.

"No what?" Temari looked side to side, one eyebrow cocked.

"I'm not stopping." The redhead glowered.

"The mission is over, Gaara." Baki held his hands up between them. "The attack was probably a ruse to weaken us anyways."

"I don't care about the mission." The jinchuriki stated. "I want to kill Sasuke Uchiha, and the exams are how I can do it."

"Gaara..." Kankuro took a half-step forward.

"I'm going to kill him!" Gaara's eyes grew wider. "I need HIS blood!" He turned to look at the rest of the people in the tent. "One way or another, he'll feed my sand! It can either be in the finals, or I can kill him alone." Gaara seemed to calm down a bit. "Either way is acceptable to me."

"Eh" Baki paused. With the Kazekage dead, they couldn't control Gaara. His gold-jutsu was the only thing in the village capable of stopping his son. Without that... Baki couldn't force him to do anything. "Ok, the finals it is." Assassinating the Last Uchiha would go over horribly, even if Gaara pulled it off. The Leaf wouldn't have to investigate long before coming to the right conclusion. Gaara's method of killing wasn't the most subtle. The jonin brought his hand to his forehead. This could have gone better. Still, better that the one-tail be released in the Hidden Leaf than the Hidden Sand. There was always the possibility Gaara might hold it together. Right?

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Karin sat with her back against a training post. She wasn't really surprised that Shigeri and Arai refused to train with her. It was their sensei's refusal that really stung. He had recommended that she withdraw! Karin knew she wasn't the best in a fight, but she'd actually won her match! Now she had a chance to continue, and she wasn't going to pass it up! Especially since forfeiting meant she'd be heading back to the Hidden Grass. She didn't know if she could do that.

She didn't know how she was going to survive after the exams were over. Leaving her new-found family? She pushed the thought out of her mind.

Everyone else was eager to leave. With Shiore's team's death, the rest of Grass contingent had already headed home. She was the sole hold-out.

Karin raised her head. There was a familiar chakra source heading towards the training grounds. Other ninja came and went at all times, so it wasn't that strange. The Uzumaki smiled as she stood up. It'd be nice to see a friendly face. She set off at a brisk pace, and soon came upon two people. "Shirou! Saber!" She yelled as she waved.

"Karin! I found you!" Shirou waved back with a smile on his face. "Or I guess you found me." Her cousin let out a small chuckle.

Karin pranced forward. When she was close, she clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward. "What are you doing? Training for your match?" She really wanted to watch Shirou train. Not only was he strong, his style and summonings were fascinating. Getting to be around Saber would be a bonus.

Her older relative shook his head. "Not right now. I was looking for you."

Karin's smile widened. Her! He was looking for her! She felt her cheeks flush, and she glanced away. "W-Why are you looking for me?" It couldn't be that Shirou would want to spy on her. Nothing she could do in a month could improve her odds against him by even 1%.

"I wanted to talk to you about staying in the Hidden Leaf."

"What?"

"I'd really like it if you stayed." Shirou looked down as he rubbed the back of his head. "It's just... I don't have much family. I'd like you to be close by. I know our villages are on friendly terms, so it might be possible? I mean, I know you must have lots of friends back home, and this is a selfish request on my part..."

"No!" Karin leaped forward and grasped his hand. "I'd love to stay! Do you think they'd let me?"

Shirou's eyebrows shot up. "You do?" His smile was obvious, even under his hood. "That's great! I'll ask Inoichi-sensei! They let me and Haku stay, so I'm sure they'll allow you too!"

Karin looked up to meet Shirou's golden-eyes. "You know, if you keep treating me like this..." She gulped. "I'll never want to leave your side!" The younger girl immediately looked away. She couldn't believe she just came out and said that! She was holding his hands and everything!

Shirou wrapped her up in an embrace. She could feel her heart beating faster and faster. "Of course! You can stay with Haku and I as long as you want!"

What?

Karin let out a sigh. Of course, she was too young for him. For now.

"Have you seen Naruto?" Shirou let her go and moved back slightly. "I wanted to talk with him too."

Karin shook her head. "That reminds me! I wanted to tell you during the elimination fights, but we were on opposite sides of the room!"

"What?"

"Naruto... his chakra felt... different."

Shirou's eyes narrowed. "How? Tell me."

Karin met his eyes. "It was like there was this dark anger hidden deep within. I didn't see any difference, it was just a really faint feeling I got."

"Hmmmm..." Shirou raised a hand to his chin and bowed his head.

Karin quickly raised her hands. "I don't mean anything bad! It just didn't feel as pure as before! People's chakra change all the time! He was most likely stressed out from the fight!"

"You're right." Shirou shook his head. "I'd still like to talk to him, but I think he's off training somewhere. He might be avoiding me."

"Well, I'm glad to see you!"

"Master." Saber calm voice interrupted them. "Perhaps you should ask for her help with channeling... chakra."

"Oh, right!" Shirou turned and looked at the armored woman. "I forgot Saber, sorry." He turned back for a second, before facing the woman again. "And you can call me Shirou, ok? Master... makes me feel strange."

"My apologies Shirou." Saber close her eyes and gave a very faint bow of her head. "I shall endeavor to be less-formal in my addressing of you in the future."

"What about chakra?" Karin perked up. This was something she could actually help with!

"Well, Saber needs chakra from me to replenish what she uses. I'm not sure how to give it to her."

"Oh?" Karin tilted her head. "She feeds off of you to survive."

"I can acquire energy with other methods, but the easiest and most efficient way for Servants to persist is with energy from their Master." Saber turned to look at Shirou. "Please note, I was using the term as a reference, not as a title. Shirou."

"Yes, yes, I got it Saber."

Karin looked back and forth between the other two people. She got the impression that this was a continuation of a previous conversation. Ah, well. "So you just need to give her more chakra than you're giving her now?"

"More?"

"Yeah." Karin pointed at the seal on the back of his hand. Shirou's gloves covered it, but they didn't stop her senses. "That seal, it's sending chakra between the two of you."

"Between us?" Saber turned to address her.

"Uhm... yeah." Karin shrunk back just a bit under her gaze. "Your chakra is flowing into Shirou and his into you."

"Really?" Shirou looked down at his hand. "I wasn't able to grasp the seal, so I didn't know it could do that." He tapped the back of his hand with a finger. "I do know a way to send chakra." The boy closed his eyes and intoned "Trace On."

Karin sensed his chakra spring to life. A sword being drawn. His energy flowed out of his body and into the seal. From there, the chakra that had just been a trickle before surged.

Saber nodded. "Yes, I can feel your energy, Shirou."

"Wow!" Karin's cousin reached out and patted her on the head. "Thanks Karin! I appreciate it! If I can do anything at all, just let me know!"

Karin blushed at the physical contact. Anything? "Well... there is one thing?"

Shirou's eyes sparkled. "What?"

"This is going to sound odd, and I know it'll be strange for you." She took a deep breath. "It's also kinda against the rules, but... will you help me train?"

"Of course!"

"Really?"

"I'd love to Karin!" Shirou's voice was full of enthusiasm, then he sighed. "I'm just not sure how good of a teacher I'd be. All I'm good at is using swords."

"Oh." Karin's spirits sank.

"But that's not a bad idea." Shirou pounded a fist into his hand. "That's how I'm able to spar with Haku! All you need is a tool to help even the field!"

Shirou closed his eyes for several seconds before they flew back open. "I know! Hiramekarei!"

A large, bandaged sword appeared in his hands. It was wide, and had two hilts. Shirou proceeded to unwrap the weapon. When it was freed of its coverings, Karin could see two holes towards it's tip, and two indentions by the hilts. It made the sword look like a fish. A flounder if she remembered her biology classes.

"Here." Shirou held the sword out hilts first.

Karin tentatively took hold. The weapon had an obscene amount of chakra in it. The same chakra she'd felt surround Shirou before. Her cousin let go, and the blade immediately dropped. Kami, the thing had to weigh more than she did! It nearly broke her foot!

"It's heavy..."

"Sorry!" Shirou stepped behind her and wrapped his hands around the hilts, next to hers. "The key is to use its chakra to become strong enough to lift it."

Chakra from the sword flowed out and surrounded him. "You can also shape it however you want! Like a sword of a shield. For someone as smart as you, I'm sure you'll master it in no time!"

Karin blushed from his praise. Or it might be from his proximity. No! She had to focus! She tried accessing the chakra again and again, but nothing happened.

"It's not working Shirou." She hung her head. "I'm no good."

Shirou shook his head. "Nonsense. I think I know what the problem is." He stepped back and pulled the sword apart. It split easily, resulting in two identical blades. "Most people can't use Hiramekarei. Even among those that can, only a few can use chakra that isn't their own." A blue glow surrounded the two weapons. Chakra flowed from one to the other, until the first blade was empty. "Ok" Shirou handed it over. "Put some of your chakra in, and then take it out."

Karin took half of Hiramekarei in both hands. She could barely lift it. Now that it was empty, she could move chakra into it! "It's working!" The chakra she'd stored flowed back out, surrounding her, empowering her... for all of half a second before running out.

"Don't worry!" Shirou nodded. "That's remarkable progress! Of course, my summons tend to not last too long. I'm not sure why, but I'm getting better!' The redhead shook his hand in front of him. "If I have to, I can summon it for you each day!"

Karin sighed. "Thanks Shirou, but it's just too heavy for me." She gave him a wistful smile. "I appreciate the effort, and it's an absolutely amazing sword! I think I could really get something out of it! But, I don't have chakra reserves like you, Naruto, or Saber." She shook her head. "If you have to resummon it every day, I'd never be able to train with it and store enough chakra for my match." She forced a smile to her face. "I'll just have to do it on my own."

Shirou shook his head. "Don't smile like that!" His golden eyes locked with hers. "Don't smile like you've given up! If you can't use Hiramekarei, then I'll just find you a different sword." He paused for a second before adding: "Dattebayo!"

Karin giggled. "Ok. I trust you." She darted forward to give him a hug. "Just one thing."

"What is it?"

"Don't start saying that. Even if you're trying to be funny!"

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Shirou walked down the street. His mind raced. Karin needed a weapon like Hiramekarei, but smaller and lighter. Could he do that? If he changed the form as it was summoned... Such a thing shouldn't be possible, but Shirou was certain he could do it. There was a flaw with that idea. It still left two Hiramekarei in the world. The original and a summoned one that was modified. Was that a paradox? Even if he could change the chakra sword's form, should he? No, there was a better way. If he made the change after duplicating its materials, but before its forging... He would have to leave out the years of accumulated experience, but those wouldn't help Karin anyways. If he did this, it would be a completely new sword. A separate existence. There wouldn't even be an issue of a potential paradox.

So the question was, could he? His summoned blades were weaker, more fragile than the original. Kubikiribocho was the exception. He knew the blade well enough to summon its full potential. Having the sword on hand made such a feat simple. To change Hiramekarei though... Shirou looked up. He was passing a weapon store. Enough theorizing, he'd just test his idea.

The door swung open, and a female voice cried out. "Welcome! Please look around! If there's anything in particular you want, feel free to ask!"

Shirou looked over. "Tenten?"

"Yes?" The brown-haired girl looked back. "Oh! You're that guy from the chunin exams! Come to stock up for your training?" Tenten's eyes slipped past him to rest on Saber. "Oh! That's marvelous armor! Where did you get it?"

"I create it out of my own chakra." Saber replied.

Shirou turned his head. Was that why he couldn't grasp it, no matter how hard he tried?

"Wow! That's amazing!" Tenten leapt over the counter to land next to the Servant. "Is that why you don't carry a sword? Do you make one from your chakra too?" The bun-haired girl leaned forward to tentatively poked Saber's breastplate.

"Something like that..." The blonde woman's voice trailed off. "Please don't do that."

Tenten straightened. She blushed and put her hands behind her head. "Sorry! It's just that it seems so solid. I never would've guessed it was composed of chakra!" The female ninja's eyes widened. "You don't have a Leaf headguard! Are you a samurai from the Land of Iron?"

"..." Saber stared at the girl for several seconds. "...Yes. That would be the best approximation of my social status."

"That's so cool!" Tenten bounced on her feet. "My dad says they channel chakra into their weapons instead of using ninjutsu! I didn't know they could materialize chakra too!"

Saber shook her head. "I am unique in that regard."

"Wow! Why are you in the village?"

Saber glanced over at Shirou. "That information is classified. I cannot say." This was the compromise they'd reached with the Hokage. Saber wouldn't have revealed anything otherwise, but this gave her an easy way out of the conversation. It was also true. The Leaf Counsel had decreed that Saber's presence, Servants, and another possible war were an S-Rank secret.

"Oh, I bet it has something to do with the exams!" Tenten wore a sly smile. "Is the Land of Iron going to hire ninja? Start their own Hidden Village? Hire out Samurai? Form a hybrid force?!"

"Uhm, excuse me." Shirou raised his hand. "I was wondering if you had any unworked ingots?"

"Huh?" Tenten turned. "Sorry! I got distracted!" She put a finger to her lips, and looked upwards. "Unworked ingots eh? We have some in the back. They're not usually for sale." She shook her head. "But if I make a profit then I'm sure dad won't mind!"

"How much for one?"

"Say, two thousand ryo?" Tenten cocked her head.

Shirou nodded. "Sure."

"Ok, I'll be right back." The female ninja hoped over the counter again, and through a door in the back. In a few moments she returned with a thick bar of metal in her hands. "Here you go!" She placed it on the counter.

Shirou counted out the money, and slid it across. "Thank you."

"You're welcome!" Tenten smiled. "What do you want it for anyways? Going to forge your own kunai? We rent out space for ninja that like to do that kind of thing."

Shirou shook his head. "No, I'm practicing a jutsu." He nodded at the bar. "Do you mind?"

"Is it dangerous?"

Shirou paused to think. "I don't see how it could be."

"Then sure." Tenten motioned at the iron bar. "Any jutsu that uses an odd weapon like a lump of iron is interesting."

"Thank you." Shirou touched the bar. "Trace On. Steel is my body." This was different from summoning, but the steps would be the same. If he was going to reforge Hiramekarei, then a kunai would be nothing. He had the materials, all he needed to do was synthesize the manufacturing process... There! The iron bar glowed and flowed into a dozen kunai.

"Wow!" Tenten reached out and picked one up. She turned it over in her hand, and moved it up and down. "These are really well made!" Her eyes sparkled as she grasped Shirou's hand and stared at at him. "How did you do that! Can you teach me?"

Shirou felt his face heat up. He looked away. For a non-family member to be so close... "I... don't think I can teach it. I have an unusual chakra type." He moved his hand from the girl's grasp and picked up a kunai he'd made. "My element is Metal. So there are a couple of things I can do that can't be duplicated." With his other hand he picked up a second kunai. He channeled chakra into the blade. With a quick slash, he sheered the first one in half.

Tenten stared with wide eyes. "That. Is. So. COOL!" She then let out a girlish squeal. "Do it again!"

"Uhm..." Shirou touched the pile of kunai. They were the same basic materials, he should be able to reshape them. "Trace On." The kunais forms shifted and flowed together. In there place lay a katana. Shirou frowned. Once again it wasn't perfect. The blade was three centimeters shorter than he had intended. There was no material for gripping on the hilt, but that was understandable. The sword was strong enough, but it had seven fracture points. It could break in combat. A failure.

"Wow!" Tenten smiled. "If you want any more ingots, let me know!"

Shirou shook his head. "This was just a... proof of concept. I just wanted to make sure I could do something like this before I start on Karin's sword."

"Karin?" Tenten tilted her head. "The Grass genin? Why are you making a sword for her?"

"She's my cousin."

Tenten planted her elbows on the counter, and then dropped her head into her palms. "That's just great. My first opponent is going to have a masterwork sword!"

"Oh, uhm... sorry?" Shirou scratched the back of his head. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you..."

Tenten pounced. She grasped both his hands, and came an inch away from his face. "Really?"

Shirou leaned back, but the bun-haired kunochi followed. "Yeah?"

"Then make me a sword too!" Tenten's eyes shown. "Something really spectacular!"

"O..Ok." Shirou tried to disengage himself, but the kunochi's grip was too strong. "I'll make you something good that will complement your fighting style."

"Really?!"

"Yes." Shirou blushed. She was awfully close. He didn't have much experience with girls apart from Haku.

"So you'll do it... just for me?" Tenten gazed up at him. The redhead could only swallow nervously. "Man, you're easy to tease!" She let go of his hands, leaned back, and smiled.

Shirou exhaled. "There's just one rule."

"Anything!" Tenten somehow had grabbed both his hands again.

Shirou glanced over at Saber. The Servant hadn't made a move this entire time, but he knew she was behind this. It was her chakra. It put people in too good of a mood. "You can't use it against Karin, Haku, or Naruto!"

"Aw, but that's my match..."

Shirou shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that's my price."

Tenten smiled. "If that's what you're going to charge me? How can I say no? Here, let me give you the iron." She let go of him and turned to move into the back.

Shirou paused. Wait, he could've gotten money for this? Oh well, helping people was its own reward. He shook his head. "No need for that."

Tenten stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Are you sure? It's one thing to spend some time using a jutsu, but I should cover the base materials."

Shirou nodded. "The sword I'm making for Karin is going to use a different jutsu. I'll design yours in the same way." He waved his hand in front of him, while he picked up the sword he'd made. "Raw materials shouldn't be a problem."

Tenten put a finger to her lips. "Well, if you fold iron enough it hardens." She tilted her head back and forth and hummed for a bit. "Yeah, I can see it. That would be easy with your technique! Wow! This is going to be so cool! Just make sure it's balanced for throwing. Ok?"

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Inoichi looked at Haku. Rather, he looked at Haku's clone. "I can't find any flaws with it."

"Thank you sensei." The image replied.

Inoichi started walking around his student. "The visual change is much smoother now."

"Aiming the reflection took some practice."

"Sound too." The jonin paused. "Your chakra is blocked, but the clone's energy fluctuates slightly from time to time."

Haku let out a sigh. The two ice mirrors the technique used came back into view. "Chakra is hard. I'm not as good of a sensor as you Yamanaka-san." The female genin shook her head. "I think I might be at my limit."

Inoichi nodded. "If that's the case, then the next step would be to focus on your ability to sense chakra. Once that improves, I'm sure you'll be able to reflect it better."

Haku shook her head. "I'm still not sure about this technique. Maintaining two mirrors isn't exactly easy. I'm starting to think I'd be better off with a regular clone and just hiding myself."

"I'd have to agree." A small smile came to the blonde man's mouth. "But I think we both know why you made this particular jutsu."

"Yeah. If Shirou can't hide, I'll just hide him myself."

"It's quite versatile, so I don't think the time you've spent developing it was wasted." Inoichi stroked his chin. "But I think for the next month, you should focus on other strategies."

"How so?" Haku cocked her head.

"You're first opponent in the finals is Lee." The jonin shook his head. "From what we saw in the preliminaries, he'll attack you with taijutsu."

"I'm not worried about that." Haku's eyes gleamed. "Anyone who relies on melee attacks is at a disadvantage against me."

"Still, I think we should add some more offensive moves to your arsenal."

"Like what?"

"Can you make a water clone?"

Haku nodded. "Zabuza-sama taught me how, but the chakra required made it inefficient."

"Oh?"

"Splitting my chakra means my mirror's duration is shorter."

"What about a more durable clone? Then the chakra spent would be a better investment."

Haku put her hand on her hip. "Like an earth clone? Do you know how to make one of those?"

Inoichi shook his head. "No, and even if I did you don't have any practice with that element." The blonde held up a finger. "What I was thinking of was better suited for you. Why not try an Ice Clone?"

"I've thought of that before sensei." The masked kunochi shook her head. "Ice is too rigid. I can made a clone with it just fine, but it's frozen in place."

Inoichi smiled. "Then I have the training regime for you. What are the two ways to manipulate chakra?"

"Shape and element."

"Right." The jonin slipped into his lecture mode, that he usually reserved for his daughter. "So the shape of a clone is easy."

Haku nodded. "It's just copying your body, so there's not much to it."

"And for you, ice, water, and to a lesser extent wind chakra are available."

"You're point?"

Inoichi smiled. "I want you to combine two shapes with two elements in the same jutsu."

"What?" Haku took a half-step back. "That's impossible!"

Inoichi shook his head. "Would you say that controlling six bodies at the same time, having them attack jointly all under your control is impossible too?"

The female ninja nodded. "Definitely."

"I can do it."

Haku's eyes narrowed. "You can?"

Inoichi smiled, he had her hooked. "The Yamanaka techniques - past the most basic application - all require the ability to perfectly multitask." He raised a finger. "Puppeteering your opponent's body." He raised a second finger. "Moving your own." He began to raise finger after finger. "The more you can focus on the same time, the more you can control."

"That sounds hard."

"You're already doing it Haku." Inoichi nodded at the mirrors. "Your mirror clones, you're reflecting sight, sound, and chakra right?"

"And heat."

The jonin raised an eyebrow. "Because it's ice?"

Haku nodded.

"We just have to start doing drills that focus on splitting your attention."

Haku lowered her head, and brought her hand to her chin. She stayed like that for several seconds. When she came to a decision, she raised her head. "Ok, I'll try it!"

"Good!" Inoichi smiled. "I think our one-on-one sessions will be good for you!"

Haku glanced to the side. "I just hope Shirou isn't getting himself into too much trouble without me around..."

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Author's note: Before rolling the dice, I had theorized about other matchups. Here are a few.

Omake: What if Shirou had gone up against someone else?

Naruto

Shirou looked at the name board. This was the worst possible match up. Naruto of all people. The person who'd opened his eyes. Made him realize the value of family. Someone he was related to.

The two of them stood in front of Hayate. "If the *cough* two of you are ready? Then..."

"Wait!" Shirou raised his hand.

"What? C'mon Shirou! Let's get going!" Naruto pointed at him. "I've beat you once, and I'll beat you again."

The masked ninja hung his head. "You are correct. I'm sure we've both grown since then, but that has nothing to do with my decision." He raised his head to look his cousin in the eyes. "I forfeit."

"WHAT?! What do you mean you forfeit!" Naruto had stopped squinting. His blue eyes were narrowed dangerously.

Shirou held up a hand. "Please Naruto. This is my choice to make."

"So you're just giving up?" The blonde Uzumaki snarled. "I thought you were tougher than that!"

Shirou shook his head. "I just don't want to fight you, Haku, or Karin. Never giving up is your nindo, but protecting my family is mine." The redhead turned around and started walking away. "Between possibly hurting any of you or not becoming a chunin... That's an easy choice."

Hayate coughed. "The winner of the match by forfeit is... Naruto Uzumaki!"

Shirou moved to stand next to Haku. Naruto stomped past them. His cousin was upset. Shirou went to stand by him. "Naruto, did you want to fight me that badly!"

The blonde crossed his arms and looked away. "Now everyone's going to say I didn't make it on my own! How am I supposed to prove myself if you won't let me fight?"

Shirou put a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto... It's just that some things are more important. I could never go all-out against you anyways. Would fighting me when I wasn't giving it 100% make you feel good?"

"No." Naruto gave out a 'Hmpf!' "You could just fight me! Treat me like everyone else!"

"Could you go all out against Sakura?" Shirou's eyes narrowed. "She's important to you. Is becoming chunin worth hurting her?"

"What?" Naruto spun around. "No way! That'd be super lame!"

"It's the same for me." Shirou gave his cousin's shoulder a squeeze. "It doesn't matter if your stronger or weaker than I am. It's never going to be important because we'll never fight each other. Got it?"

"Yeah..." Naruto squinted his eyes. His arms were still crossed, but the tension had gone out of his shoulders. "I guess I can understand."

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vs. Hinata

Hinata shook. She was up against one of the people Kiba had warned her about! Shirou Uzumaki. Was he really related to Naruto? Hinata hadn't seen him before the exams. Not that she spied on Naruto all the time. Still, he was so much older than her. Taller, stronger, he wore so many weapons. The Gentle Fist needed to close in to strike his tenketsu. How was she going to do that with the extra reach his swords provided?

The proctor stood between them. "Shirou Uzumaki vs Hinata Hyuga. If the two of you are ready..."

He paused. He was expecting her to quit. Everyone was. Hinata glanced to the side. She couldn't do this! She tentatively raised a hand.

"GO HINATA!" A familiar voice shouted from above. "Shirou's strong but you can take him! Show him what you're made of!"

Hinata blinked. Naruto. Naruto was cheering her on! She couldn't quit now! Not when he was finally looking at her! Her arm continued to move, but instead of rising into the air, it met her other hand. "Byakugan!" She formed a seal as she activated her doujutsu.

Hayate coughed. "Ok." He looked between the two of them once more. "Begin!"

Hinata settled into her stance. Ready to parry and counter attack. She looked over at her opponent. Shirou didn't have a chakra network! She gasped. Was he dead? No he drew the twin swords at his sides. A puppet? An illusion she couldn't see though?

"Trace On."

With those words his chakra sprang to life. It... it was all wrong. His pathways were small. An impossible amount that traced jagged lines though his body.

He had no tenketsu, not even any coils! Why couldn't she see? Were her eyes just as faulty as the rest of her?

Shirou moved to attack. His blades made casual swipes though the air. Each sword was filled with chakra now. Hinata dodged on pure reflex. The blows began to come faster. She twisted to avoid the blades. Strike after strike, she flowed around. She was dodging them all? Yes! She could do this! The female ninja gathered her chakra in her palms and ducked under a wide slash. Now! She darted in and landed two strikes on her opponent's chest, before withdrawing.

Shirou paused. Did she get him? She hadn't been able to see his tenketsu, so the strikes had been best guesses. The masked ninja surged forward. "Good job!"

He was complimenting her in the middle of their match? The surprise made her freeze. The next thrust caught her in the arm. Her blood splattered over the ground. It was an indicator of what was to come.

Wait.

Hinata clutched her arm. She wasn't bleeding. Her jacket wasn't even cut. She'd felt the blow land. Was it just her imagination? Shirou hadn't pursued. The masked ninja motioned with his swords. "Whenever you're ready, Hinata."

The female Hyuga nodded. Shirou. Shirou was like Naruto. He was nice. He wasn't pressing the attack. In fact, most of the fight he'd been on the defensive. Her Byakugan narrowed as she charged. Their blows were a blur. Hinata felt loose. Her fear was slowly being replaced. She struck him again. Four times. Eight times. Her strikes weren't effective. So she'd have to switch tactics. Gentle Fist taught to strike tenketsu points in the arms to make an opponent drop their weapons. That wouldn't work here. The Academy Stlye used different moves. It was disgraceful to rely on anything but the Gentle Fist, but she didn't care. An outside grip to pull away the thumb. An inside strike to the base of the weapon. One of Shirou's butterfly swords flew from his grasp. The other soon followed.

Hinata smiled.

Shirou retreated and drew the massive sword on his back. Hinata flowed around it with ease. Dodging just one blade was simpler, yet it was now a lot harder to counter attack. The masked ninja's style had completely changed. It was much tighter now. More controlled. The openings she'd exploited before were no longer there. He began to move in and out. The sword's swings became part of charges. The other ninja then disengaged. The sudden change was all the scarier since Shirou's attacks now all seemed to be aimed at vital locations.

Hinata knew. Shirou wasn't using any ninjutsu. He didn't seem to be tiring either. He was matching her pace. She'd sparred enough with older members of her clan to know when someone was going easy on her. At the same time, she had managed to strike him. That never happened with other Hyuga. Sure, they wouldn't seriously hit her, but they would never allow someone like her to land a blow. Shirou was different. He wasn't pulling his strikes. There was no sense of casual superiority in the boy's form. His swords were scary, but they didn't actually cut her despite the number of times she'd been hit.

Naruto's cousin was limiting himself somehow. His skill matched her's too evenly, even after she'd overcome her initial hesitation. But he was fighting to his fullest capacity within those limits. If the young girl had stopped to think about it, her confidence would've shattered. Hinata was swept up in the moment. Her small victories of landing a blow here and there galvanized her. If she could hit him, she could win.

The fight continued, and Hinata's stamina began to give out. Shirou was the better fighter, but she wouldn't give up. Naruto was watching. He kept shouting encouragement. Other voices had joined in. She would lose, but not because she was afraid. Today was the day she stood tall.

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vs. Lee

Shirou squared off against his green-clad opponent. The redhead was breathing heavily. Lee was good. Shirou had started the match by reinforcing himself and dulling his butterfly swords. He didn't want to risk seriously injuring someone else. Lee didn't wield a weapon, so it was hard for Shirou to gauge his abilities. His caution had proved misplaced. The other Leaf ninja didn't seem at a disadvantage from Shirou's swords. It was like he was comfortable with avoiding his adversary's attacks in melee instead of blocking. Lee was quicker, stronger, and more skilled. He dodged Shirou's attacks by the narrowest margins and brutally counter attacked. Shirou's reinforcement of his body and clothing negated most of the damage. Once Lee had seen his attacks weren't having their desired results, the strength behind his punches increased.

Shirou could've sworn he felt his ribs crack, but they felt fine now. There was pain, but it wasn't slowing him down. The redhead was proud of his endurance, but Lee even had him beat in that area. "Trace On." Shirou's chakra flowed into his swords. This wasn't that useful of a technique in general, but this was the perfect situation for it. The concept of the butterfly swords expanded. They were now sharper, stronger, bigger. They could strike beyond their physical reach, but it only gave them an extra centimeter. A normal opponent wouldn't even notice, much less care. Lee's dodges were too precise. They would now backfire.

Cuts began to appear on Lee's green jumpsuit. They weren't deep. The damage was more psychological than physical. It was enough. The tide turned, and Shirou pushed his advantage. Lee began to dodge by a wider margin, but it hampered his style. This in turn gave the redhead more opportunities to attack. It was a vicious cycle. After a few more cuts, Lee retreated with a series of backflips.

"Lee!" The voice of the genin's teacher echoed through the room. "Take them off!"

"What?" Lee looked up with a surprised expression. "You said to only do so when I was protecting someone!"

"It's ok!" The jonin gave a thumbs up. "I'll give you special permission, just this once!"

"Yosh!" The genin leaped up on top of the stone statue. He then sat down and began to remove something from under his leg warmers.

Shirou paused. Now that the battle was at this distance, he could use his bow. Especially with Lee sitting down like that. The redhead stretched his neck. Shooting someone who was distracted didn't feel right. Even if Lee would just dodge it. No, he'd rather face the other ninja head-on. Shirou preferred straightforward confrontations like this. Lee stood up. In his hands he held some kind of weights. They had seals on them. Lee let them fall. The floor underneath them was pulverized. A huge cloud of dust was thrown up. Shirou balked for a moment. How heavy were those? He'd been fighting with them on this whole time?

Lee jumped down and stood in front of the Uzumaki. Shirou braced himself, but he still wasn't prepared when Lee vanished. The redhead's reinforced eyes saw him move to the right, but they weren't quick enough to follow. Shirou braced for impact, but the blow came from his left. It sent him flying into the wall. Lee had circled around him? That level of speed was astonishing. Shirou had to use his trump card. "Trace On." Hiramekarei appeared on his back. Mangetsu's chakra flowed from it. The aura energized Shirou. He charged.

The fight became a blur. Both he and Lee were moving at speeds that didn't leave much room for error. Shirou had the upper hand. Lee's foot speed might have increased, but all of Shirou's physical parameters were now enhanced. He'd win this. That was what he was thinking right before Lee vanished again. A kick came from below, launching Shirou into the air. He was aware of Lee jumping up after him. Shirou's back was exposed. He had to do something!

He dropped his swords, and summoned Nuibari. The needle sword appeared in his hands and Shirou threw it at the ground. It stuck fast. The redhead then pulled chakra from the wire attached to it. That caused the cord to contract, pulling Shirou to the ground. His landing wasn't particularly graceful, but it put him in a position to intercept Lee. The masked ninja hefted Kubikiribocho from his back. His swing was dodged. Lee twisted midair.

The two paused. Lee looked worn out. Shirou narrowed his eyes. His opponent was finally showing his fatigue, but Lee's eyes were still alive. He still had fight in him. "The Second Gate: The Gate of Healing!" Lee shouted as chakra surged through him.

Shirou's eyes widened he could go even further? Lee's blitzkrieg continued. Shirou barely held him off. The redhead summoned a copy of Kubikiribocho. With the chakra cloak, he was strong enough to wield Zabuza's weapon one handed. This let him fight with his preferred two-sword style. The massive blades drove Lee back. Shirou hadn't been able to land a hit, but the flow of the battle was now in his favor. A single blow would end it.

Lee jumped back again. "The Third Gate: The Gate of Life!" The genin's chakra was now visible. It swirled around him, lifting broken stones into the air. Lee's skin darkened, turning red.

Shirou didn't know what happened next. Lee's attack had come too quickly. It knocked him around like a rag-doll. The blows pounded against his aura. The shock waves penetrated his armor. Shirou's reinforced body began to shudder. Then it stopped. He was bathed in a warm sensation. He looked up.

Saber stood in front of him. She had caught Lee's fist with one hand. "Enough." Her voice was quiet, but it rang throughout the hall. "My Master resigns. He has gone as far as he can." She turned and looked at him. "It was very impressive. You have potential Shirou."

Shirou could only stare. Saber was smiling at him.

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vs. Haku

Hayate looked at the two similarly dressed ninja in front of him. Weren't they adopted or something? The briefings on the genin had been pretty light in general. He wasn't supposed to get any preconceived notions about them. At the same time, some basic information gave him a good starting point for knowing when the match should be over. Well, it didn't really matter. He supposed they'd sparred more than once in their lives, so this fight should be interesting.

"Before we begin..."

"I forfeit." "I forfeit." Brother and sister both interrupted him at the same time.

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vs. Tenten

"Begin!"

Shirou drew his swords, but Tenten had already back-flipped away. The female ninja threw a couple of kunai at him while she was mid-air. Shirou grasped them, and her style. Like him, she relied on using multiple ranged weapons to block off escape routes. The butterfly swords blurred. The two projectiles that would've hit him were deflected. The others pinged off the stone floor. "A fellow marksman huh?" Behind his mask, Shirou smirked. "I can appreciate that!"

The redhead drew and expanded his bow in exchange for his swords. In the same smooth motion an arrow was shot at his opponent. Tenten eyes narrowed and she wore a thin smile. A pair of kunai appeared in her hands. She let them fly. One deflected off his arrow in mid-flight. The other targeted his center of mass.

Shirou responded in kind. He notched two arrows. One for her. One for her kunai. Tenten went with three kunai. Shirou fired back three arrows. The girl began to pelt him with both hands. Shuriken and senbon joined her arsenal. The number of projectiles she could release in a second was more than a bow was capable of. Shirou's arrows had more penetrative power. The redhead began to adjust his shots. While accurately predicting a ricochet mid-air at this pace was beyond him, his arrow's trajectories weren't affected much by the lighter weight non-kunai. He began to line up his shots. Each one of his deflected two of Tentens. The problem was that his offensive shots still just required one kunai to block. Their flurry reached an equilibrium. After ten seconds and far more projectiles, the two teenagers paused.

Shirou exhaled. "This seems like a stalemate."

"You think so?" Tenten smiled. "Your quiver is looking rather depleted."

Shirou's eyes glinted. "I have unlimited weapons."

"Is that so?"

Shirou nodded.

"Then I'll have to up the ante." Tenten reached behind her and pulled out a scroll. The bun-haired girl leapt into the air, the scroll unfurling around her. "Try this!"

She spun. Her hands brushed against the parchment, unsealing a weapon with each touch. Swords, spears, scythes, hammers, kunai. The assortment of weapons she started to utilize was breathtaking. All of them flew towards Shirou. He hadn't dodged an attack yet, so she didn't waste any of her throws trying to pen him in.

Shirou pulled back on his empty bow. "Trace On." Three arrow appeared. Two were reinforced. They'd cut a path through the more massive projectiles. The other went at Tenten herself. Their volley continued. Tenten's scroll ran out of ammo long before Shirou's chakra was depleted. Simple wooden arrows, even reinforced, didn't take much of a toll to summon.

The girl landed lightly on her feet. "You weren't kidding!" She smiled. "That's some impressive seal-work! Storing arrows in a bow! Brilliant!"

Shirou didn't reply. Correcting her wouldn't change anything, and she was essentially right. The difference between rapid unsealing and summoning wasn't much.

The girl pulled out two scrolls and set them on the ground. "I didn't want to use this so early, but I guess I don't have a choice." She made some handsigns. "Rising Twin Dragons!" Both scrolls exploded upwards. The kunochi followed them into the air. She started spinning while unsealing weapons again. Tenten's barrage recommenced at doubled it's ferocity.

"Trace On." Shirou's hands blurred. His chakra hummed inside of him. Arrow after arrow was unleashed.

After several moments, Tenten landed. The spent scrolls fell down beside her. "I'm not done yet!" She leapt back into the air. She hovered for a second before a look of surprise crossed her face. The female ninja returned to the ground. "What happened?"

"I made sure to cut all the ninja wire you had attached to your weapons." Shirou motioned to the ground. "That's a pretty nice trick you have there, but it won't be useful against me."

"You..." Tenten gulped. "You really do have unlimited arrows don't you?" She shook her head, then pointed at his bow. "No! I don't know how you got so many storage seals to work together. Or how you access them so quickly. Or how you stored so many arrows. Your supply has to be running low now!"

Shirou shook his head. "I do have some storage scrolls, but all those arrows were summoned, not stored."

"What?"

"And it's not just arrows." Shirou summoned a kunai and flipped it in his hands. "I have an unlimited number of any blade I want."

Tenten's shoulders slumped and she stared at her masked opponent with wide eyes. "I... I surrender." The brown-haired girl hung her head.


	10. The Chunin Exams 5

"Trace On. Steel is my body."

Shirou was tired. Attempt after attempt had resulted in flawed weapons. Either the image just wasn't right, or the blades he summoned weren't strong enough. Each attempt helped crystallize the image in his mind. Soon. Soon, he'd get them right. He'd hoped to have them finished with one day of work, but he guessed he was being too optimistic. Still, once the image was complete, the actually creation should be quick. He just needed to focus as much chakra as he could. It wasn't the type of technique that could be dragged out over a long time.

The redhead wiped his brow. He hoped Haku was ok. He told her what he was going to do. It meant skipping their usual sparing time. Inoichi had smiled and shooed him away. The jonin said it was perfectly fine to skip a spar every so often. The Yamanaka urged him to spend time with Karin.

That reminded Shirou. He needed to speak with Inoichi about his new-found relative. Right now, he was late for his apprenticeship. He'd catch his teacher when he was finished at Ichiraku's. Shirou stowed his forged swords in his pack and headed to the restaurant. Once there, he redhead removed his mask, gloves and jacket. Shirou placed his weapons and packs beside his clothes. He then put an apron over his T-shirt and began to mix the batter for the noodles.

"What is that you have, Shirou?" Saber sat at the counter, his ever-present guardian.

"I'm prepping for the dinner crowd."

"I meant, what kind of food is that?"

"You've never had ramen?"

The Servant shook her head. "It seems extravagant. Food is just a necessity to keep one's body operating. What you're doing is not productive."

"Say that after you've tried it!" Teuchi smiled as he placed a bowl in front of Saber.

"Sensei, Saber doesn't eat." Shirou objected.

Saber raised a hand. "I am capable of eating, it's just far less efficient than receiving chakra from you."

"If that's the case, have a bowl." The old man smiled.

Saber bowed her head. "I have no money to pay you. I would not want to deplete Shirou's funds for such a pointless endeavor."

"It's fine. This bowl is free." Teuchi pushed the bowl towards her. "Shirou's my apprentice, so his food is on the house." The chef shook his head. "At first I thought I was ripping the poor boy off, but with the way he eats..."

Saber raised an eyebrow. "Very well. I will sample your wares." The blonde looked side to side. "Where is the spoon?"

Shirou stopped pounding dough against the counter top, and pointed with his hand. "Saber, you use chopsticks to eat the noodles and extras, then you drink the broth from the bowl."

"Is that so?" The Servant took a pair of chopsticks and broke them apart. "Thank you for the food." She dipped into the bowl, bringing noodles up to her mouth. She paused after her first mouthful. Her eyes opened wide. "This... this is delicious!" She inhaled the rest of the bowl before banging it down on the counter. "Another!"

"Ha ha, looks like I have a satisfied customer!" Teuchi chortled before placing another bowl down. "Try the pork this time."

Shirou looked on. Bowl after bowl was inhaled with impressive speed. The girl could give Naruto a run for his money. "Hey, wait!" Shirou spun towards his teacher. "Who's paying for the extra bowls?!"

"You are!" Teuchi slapped him on the back. "Don't worry, I'll give you a discount. She can have ramen at cost. I haven't seen anyone enjoy my cooking this much since Naruto."

"I wonder how he's doing..." Shirou turned to the street, hoping to catch sight of his cousin.

"Haven't you seen him lately?"

"The second exam finished yesterday." Shirou crossed his arms and tilted his head. "I saw him then, but I wanted to check in with him. See how he's preparing for the finals."

"Oh?" The old chef placed another bowl in front of Saber. "He was here for lunch."

"Really?"

Teuchi nodded. "Yep, he was with a jonin. I think he was getting instruction for the third exam."

"Kakashi?"

"No." The shop owner shook his head. "It was someone else... Ebitsu? I think that was his name." Teuchi opened his eyes, a glint formed in them. "He payed for Naruto to eat his fill."

"Ouch!" Shirou eyed the growing stack of bowls. "I think I can sympathize somewhat."

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Inoichi sat back and relaxed. It was a quiet evening. His training with Haku had gone well. The girl was sharp as a tack. The term genius was thrown around too often, but it still applied to her. He closed his eyes. One-handed signs. She'd developed them all on her own, and created custom jutsu before she would've been out of the Academy. It sounded like a hard life, but she spoke of it fondly. The Yamanaka head was still surprised by his students' decision about training. He said he would only be able to train one of them, but he'd find someone to train the other. Haku and Shirou had resolutely refused. They insisted on continuing to train with each other. They then reasoned if that was the case, they could both make use of him.

Individual training was most effective, but Inoichi couldn't deny the results they had achieved so far. It was going to be more work for him, but that was fine. Without his T&I responsibilities, he had enough time to devote to them. It would be long hours for the next month. Yamanaka clan business. Training for Haku and Shirou, together and individually. He still had jonin duties, but they would be light since he was expected to stay in the village. Heck, today he'd even had enough free time to go and check on Ino at the flower shop. Asuma was training Choji, so Team 10 wouldn't have any missions for a while. He couldn't let his beautiful little girl slack off.

A presence approached the house. It made no effort to obscure itself. Inoichi wasn't sure Saber even could hide her chakra if she wanted to. Her resting level was so high it probably was impossible. At least it was easy to pinpoint her. The Servant stopped five feet away from their door. There was a knock. Inoichi waved his wife off, and went to answer it himself.

"Shirou and Saber, what can I do for the two of you?" He wasn't surprised to see the redheaded boy. Saber wouldn't be away from his side. It was quite refreshing, not having the masked ninja show up without any warning. The boy's chakra remained elusive as ever when he wasn't using it.

"Inoichi-sensei," Shirou bowed. "I was hoping to talk to you about Karin."

"Ah, I see." Shirou was focused on his newest relative. It was hardly surprising. "Please come in and have some tea."

"Thank you." The pair followed him inside. Shirou took his sword off his back and leaned it against the table as he sat down. Thankfully, it was wrapped in bandages and wouldn't harm the finish on the floor. To Inoichi's surprise, Saber sat down beside him.

The blonde ninja prepared a pot. There was a comfortable silence as the tea brewed. It might have been the quite night, or Saber's chakra, but Inoichi found himself at ease. Once the tea was ready, he poured Shirou a cup. He turned to the blonde swordswoman and asked. "Would you like some as well Saber?"

She nodded. "Please."

Inoichi was surprised. He had offered only to be polite. He guessed the woman could drink if she wanted to. The jonin savored his cup once they had all been served. After his first sip, he placed it on the table and looked across at his genin. "What is it you'd like to discuss Shirou?"

"It's about Karin." The boy took a deep breath. "Is there any way for her to live here?" His golden eyes bored into Inoichi's blue ones. "She wants to stay. Can she join the Leaf like Haku and I did?"

"So that's what this is about." Inoichi hummed to himself. "It's possible. The Leaf and Grass are on friendly enough terms that the proposition wouldn't be dismissed out of hand. Ninja migration has been uncommon after the last war, but not unheard of." The jonin held up a hand. He should keep Shirou's expectations reasonable. "Even if the Grass was open to it, they'd still want compensation."

"What?" Shirou's brow furrowed. "What kind of compensation? What do you mean?"

Inoichi gently shook his head. "To a Hidden Village, its ninja are valuable assets. The Village spends time training them for both protection and so the ninja can earn the Village money." The blonde raised his cup back to his lips and drank some more of the hot liquid. "Karin is only a genin, but she's made it to the final round of the Chunin Exam, and she has some unique talents. The Grass might see her as a promising investment."

"Oh." Shirou hung his head.

"It's not like she belongs to a Grass ninja clan. The Uzumaki's homeland was far away." Inoichi lowered his cup again. "They would understand the Leaf's interest in her because of her family. Indeed the Uzumaki and the Leaf used to be very close, despite them not being a member of the Village."

"They were?"

Inoichi nodded. "We still wear their symbol to this day as a reminder." He then shook his head. "That unfortunately will put us at a disadvantage in negotiations. Rebuilding the Uzumaki isn't a feat that would go unnoticed. Indeed, Karin is the only female that I know of. That gives her value."

Shirou pounded the table. "I don't want her for any of that! I just want her to be close, so I can protect her!" The male Uzumaki slumped. "So it's impossible then?"

Inoichi shook his head. "I never said that. The price may be high. More money than a genin or a chunin could expect to earn in a very long time."

"So they'd want a trade?" Shirou stroked his chin. "If it's valuable, then it's ok right?"

"That's right."

Shirou reached over and picked up his bandaged sword. He carefully laid it on the table. "How about Kubikiribocho? How much would that help? I can also make some more swords. They wouldn't be as good..."

One of the Seven Swords of the Mist? Inoichi almost gasped. He knew Shirou valued his family above everything else. So giving away his father's sword wasn't too unexpected. Its value eclipsed any genin. Any Chunin. Heck, most jonin wouldn't be a suitable trade. Karin might be valuable, but this was going too far in the opposite direction. "No, no, Shirou. Kubikiribocho will probably be enough." Inoichi hefted the sword and moved it from the table. How did Shirou lift it so casually? "I'll speak with the Hokage."

"So can she stay?" Shirou's eyes gleamed. "I mean, I can work harder and add in something else. Swords, ryo, something!"

Inoichi reached across the table and patted his genin on the shoulder. "No, let's keep it at this for now. I'm fairly confident this will suffice, but the Hokage will have to make the final decision. And the negotiations with the Grass may take some time."

Shirou's shoulders slumped. "How long?"

"Hopefully before the Third Exam." Inoichi smiled. "If I guess correctly, the price will change based on how well she does. The Grass won't want to let her go before then, since she's in the finals."

"But after?"

Inoichi nodded. "Yes, she'll most likely get to stay in the Village after the exams conclude." The Yamanaka head leaned back, and looked at the ceiling. "I suppose an earlier arrangement would be in order. So she'd technically join the Leaf after the exam ends."

Shirou jumped to his feet and bowed deeply. "THANK YOU, SENSEI!"

"Ok, ok..." Inoichi waved him down. "You don't have to yell. Please have some consideration for my family."

"Sorry." Shirou looked bashful.

"Is there anything else?"

"Well, I still have some stuff to do tomorrow morning." The redhead glanced to the side. "I'm going to need to apologize to Haku for missing our sparring."

"I'm sure she'll understand." Inoichi held up a hand. "I have an extensive training program planned out for Haku. She'll be kept busy if you want to train on your own."

"I still need to apologize." Shirou bowed again. "Thank you for the tea, Inoichi-sensei."

"You're welcome."

Shirou and Saber stood and left. Inoichi escorted them to the door. As they walked away he heard Shirou ask: "What did you think of the tea Saber?"

"It was not as good as the ramen."

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Shirou dreamed of wars, battles and swords. While most people would find such nighttime thoughts stressful, Shirou enjoyed his dreams. He found them odd in that he didn't recognize the people, fighting styles, or landscapes, but that was to be expected of dreams. In the past, he'd often dreamt of other nonsensical things. Buildings that scraped the sky and rose above the clouds. Fuzzy creatures inside boxes that made funny noises. Shards and flickers of his subconscious' imagination. It was where he'd gotten the image of what a ninja should look like. Even if Haku and Zabuza had said his outfit was ridiculous, he KNEW that was how ninja were supposed to dress. Just because none of them actually seemed to wear all black wasn't his problem.

Now his dreams were filled with Samurai in heavy metal armor. Saber was there, but dressed differently. She almost looked like a boy in a suit of full-plate. She was awe-inspiring in his dreams. Leading charges. Commanding armies. Standing at the vanguard of wars. The thing he found most fascinating was her sword. He could never fully remember what it looked like, but her weapon stood out more so than anything else. The rest of the sleeping redhead's dreams would fade away with the morning sun, but the idea of her Swords would remain. Both of them were beyond anything he'd seen in his waking life, but one seemed more... ethereal than the other.

Shirou awoke before dawn. He and Haku got up early, but Shirou was usually first. Today he had something that needed to be done before anything else. It had taken all of yesterday as well, but Karin's and Tenten's swords were finished. It had been too late last night to bring them the completed weapons, so he decided to do it first thing this morning. Thankfully, he'd already made an appointment with his cousin. He could both hand her the finished sword and tell her the good news!

Shirou had more energy since the second exam was over. He felt like he needed less sleep. While Saber had tried eating, she still refused to sleep. With Karin's assistance, her chakra problems were solved. She claimed that every single bit helped in regard to the food, but that sleeping was an unnecessary risk. Shirou wasn't sure. His Servant looked awfully happy at Ichiraku's yesterday and the day before.

"Whacha doing?" Haku mumbled under her sheets.

"I have a delivery to make." Shirou replied over his shoulder as he folded his futon. "I'll be back for our morning spar."

"Better be... missed two days in a row..." His sister grumbled and went back to sleep.

Shirou quietly finished dressing. It felt strange not having Kubikiribocho's weight on his back. He liked it though. It reminded him that Karin would be staying the the Leaf. Hopefully. The teenager shut the door softly behind him as he and Saber exited their home.

Once they were a couple yards away, the blonde woman spoke. "Shirou, where are we going?"

He turned his head to look at her. Saber walked as straight and rigid as ever. Her discipline was amazing. "I want to catch Tenten before her morning workout. It'll be easier than trying to track her down to deliver Harikuyo."

"You put a lot of effort into arming an adversary."

"Tenten's not an opponent." Shirou stretched his arms as he walked. "She won't be using Harikuyo against Karin, Naruto, or Haku. We're not adversaries anyways. More like... competitors. We're still both members of the Leaf."

"This is true." Saber nodded her head. "Your true opponents have yet to appear."

Shirou gave her a glance out of the corner of his eye, but didn't reply. This upcoming war concerned him. If someone really was coming for him and Saber, then he should leave the Village. Get his family out of the potential conflict zone. Until that happened, he was better staying close by. In case someone like Orochimaru struck again. The Snake Sannin seemed to have targeted Sasuke, but that meant Naruto might get drawn up in the conflict. If that happened, Saber's presence might be the only thing that would save their lives again.

The conflicted boy finally arrived outside Tenten's shop. He and Saber stood in the street and waited for a few minutes. "Should I knock?" Shirou turned to ask his companion.

"You are uninvited, and it is early in the day." Saber's calm voice reasoned. "She may not be expecting you so soon. At the same time, we do not know if the young girl is even home. It would be unwise to waste time waiting for someone who will never show."

"Hmmmm..."

"Plus, she is a ninja." Saber nodded at the store. "She may not even leave by the front door. If this is their house along with their business, then it would stand to reason they have more private access points."

"You're right." Shirou approached the door and knocked.

A few moments later, he heard movement on the other side. The door swung inwards, and Tenten's bunned head poked out. "Shirou?" She raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to deliver the weapon I made for you."

"So quickly?!" Tenten's eyes shown. "Wait just a moment. I was about to head out to meet my team for our morning stamina training. Come with me so I can practice with it before they show up!"

The brown-haired girl ducked back inside. A few seconds later she re-emerged. She then took lead of the trio, and headed towards the edge of the village.

"Do you normally start training before the rest of your teammates?" Saber asked as they walked. "That is fine level of dedication."

"Starting before Gai and Lee?" Tenten gave a short laugh. "They'll be running around the edge of the Village right now. It's their pre-stamina training endurance training."

"And you do not join them?"

"If you knew Gai and Lee, you wouldn't ask that question." The brown-haired girl gave a wistful shake of her head.

The rest of their walk was done in silence. Shirou took in the early morning air. It was peaceful at this hour. The civilians were largely still asleep, only the occasion ninja was visible.

Once they arrived at the training ground. Tenten spun to face him. "Ok, let's see it!"

Shirou nodded. He took Harikuyo out of his pouch. "This is Harikuyo."

"Broken Needle, huh?" Tenten put her hands on her hips as she bent down to get a closer look. "Two senbon attached to two spools of ninja wire? I was expecting a katana or something."

The masked ninja shook his head. "I think these will compliment your fighting style best." He flicked one of the weapons at a training target. It hit dead-center. He then jerked it back to his hand with the wire.

"Well... Thank you." The girl's shoulders slumped.

"Wait, I need to tell you how to use them."

"What? You throw them, and pull the wire to get them back." Tenten shook her head as she shrugged her shoulders with her arms to the side. "I already know how to combine ninja wire and weapons."

"This wire is special." Shirou couldn't keep the smirk off his face as he rolled the length of it around his forearm, leaving a foot of it free. "If you channel chakra into it..." He threw Harikuyo at the target again. Instead of stopping short, it struck dead-center again. "The wire will stretch. If you then draw your chakra out." Without moving his arm, the blade unstuck itself and flew backward. Shirou snatched it out of the air. "The wire will constrict. It's capable of generating a pull of five hundred pounds."

"..." Tenten stared.

"Also, you can channel chakra into the blade part." Shirou threw Harikuyo again. This time it shot clear through the wooden target. "It increases it's penetrative power." The thrown weapon returned. "If you combine the two abilities..." The masked ninja threw the dart upwards this time. It sunk deep into a tree branch. "You can use it to maneuver around the battlefield." He lifted off the ground, as Harikuyo drew him upwards. "Without chakra in it, the blade loses its punch, but that allows it to keep its grip. All you have to do to free it is channel some chakra again." Shirou's rise was abated as Harikuyo pulled free of the tree. He dropped the few feet he'd been in the air, and once again caught the blade.

"..." Tenten's mouth was hanging open.

"Well?" Shirou unwrapped the wire from around his wrist. "What do you think?" He held out the pair of weapons to the kunochi in his left hand.

"I..." Tenten gulped. Her eyes left his face and locked onto the offered weapons. "I... can't accept this."

"What?" Shirou tilted his head. "Oh, yeah, it will take some practice to use. And I made you promise not to wield them against a lot of your competition in the finals." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. These might not do you any good. The time you spend training with them would distract you from weapons and techniques you can use." He let out a sigh as his head dropped.

"No!" Tenten shook her head, and looked up at Shirou's face. "That's not it at all! I was expecting a sword. A melee weapon that was weighed for throwing. Something like that. These..." She motioned at the offered items. "These, are made of chakra metal! I don't even know what the wire's made of, but it's certainly rare and expensive! I can't accept them because they must have cost you hundreds of thousands of ryo in raw materials!"

"Oh, is that all?"

"IS THAT ALL?" Tenten's voice rose several octaves. "It would take me forever to pay you back!"

"No, no, you don't have to do that." Shirou reached out and took her hand. He then placed Harikuyo in it. Tenten started to pull away, but he gently closed her fist his other hand. "I didn't spend any money on these. I summoned them."

The girls eyes rose up to meet his again. "These belong to someone else?"

"No." Shirou shook his head. "I made them especially for you. I meant you don't have to worry about the materials involved, I summoned them."

"Isn't that stealing?"

The redhead chuckled. "Not at all. Here, look." He took his hands away, and summoned another set of Harikuyo. "Have I stolen the pair you have?"

Tenten slowly opened her hands. She looked back and forth between the four identical weapons. "So these are summons."

Shirou nodded. "That's why I gave it the name Harikuyo. I tried to make them durable, but this is the first time I've ever done something like this." He waved his hand back and forth between them. "I'm not sure how long they'll last, but it should be several years at the least. So they shouldn't live up to their name for a while."

"Several years?" Tenten raised her eyes to look at his face again.

"Or they might be permanent. Since they're a unique existence I created, I don't think the Hokage will have any problem with summoning them this long or if they break."

"I.. I see." The bun-haired girl clutched the gift to her chest. "So I can really keep them?"

"Of course." Shirou nodded. "I made them just for you."

"Thank you!" She leapt forward and wrapped her arms around him. "I love them! They're amazing!"

"You're quite welcome." Shirou's arms were pinned as the kunochi squeezed him.

"Say..." Tenten looked up and locked eyes with him. "What's under your mask?"

"Uhm..." Shirou was taken aback. "My face?"

"Let me see!" Before he could respond, Tenten reached up and pulled his hood back and his mask down. "Say... You're pretty cute. You know that?"

"Uhm..." Shirou repeated.

"Giving me something like this..." Tenten smiled. "Is that your way of saying you're interested?"

"Uhm..."

The girl leaned upwards. Her face got closer and closer... "You're so easy! I'm just kidding!" Tenten released her hug, and pushed against his chest, causing Shirou to take a half step back. "Well..." The brown-haired girl ducked her head while still looking at him. "Maybe not completely." Her cheeks flushed a little.

Shirou was at a complete loss.

Tenten flashed him a huge grin and then started wrapping Harikuyo around her wrists. "I think I'll need to get some forearm protectors, something to hide the wire. Probably leather. I think brown would look nice."

Shirou turned to look at Saber. His Servant just returned his gaze. The boy pulled his hood and mask back on. Could this morning get any stranger?

As if summoned by eldritch forces, a pair of green blurs landed in the center of the field. "Tenten! It is good to see you up and about earlier than normal! If you wished to fan the flames of youth, you could have joined Lee and I for our pre-morning run sprint!" Maito Gai posed with his hand in an upside-down 'ok' sign over his eye as he addressed his genin. The jonin turned to look at Shirou and Saber. "Ah! You've brought guests!" He spread his arms wide. "Excellent! We can always use more company with our morning routine! Let's get started!"

Tenten looked over. "What about Neji?"

"Neji is training at the Hyuga compound." Gai put his hands on his hips and nodded. "He does not wish to do any training with his competitors."

"Gai-sensei!" Lee held up a fist. "While Neji isn't here, I will train twice as hard! I must surpass him in the finals!"

"Ha ha!" The jonin slapped his apprentice on the back. "That's the spirit Lee!" He turned to face Shirou and Saber. "Tenten. I see it now! You've brought guests to our morning work out to make up for Neji's absence!"

"I didn't know Neji wouldn't be here." The kunochi said off to the side.

"The more the merrier! Let us begin!" Gai gave Shirou a thumbs up.

"Well, I have to get going..." The masked ninja started backing away.

"Nonsense!" Shirou bumped into Gai. When had he moved behind him? "A morning run is an activity everyone can enjoy!" The jonin's hand fell across his shoulders. "Come, let's begin!"

With that, Gai took off - pushing Shirou beside him. Lee, Tenten, and Saber followed. They sprinted to the inside of the walls, and started their laps. Shirou thought once they had begun, they'd take a more... leisurely pace. Instead, Gai kept increasing their speed. Since they started at a sprint, it was hard to keep up.

"Come! We need to get our hearts pumping!" The green-clad jonin shouted. "Is this all you can do?"

"This level of speed is nothing." Saber smiled from the side. How was she running so fast in a dress?

"Oh! I see the flames of youth burn brightly in you! Very well, I too shall redouble my efforts!" Gai increased their pace.

"You'll have to go faster than that." Saber pulled ahead. "Shirou, keep up!" The Servant turned her head to address him. "If you're going to defend yourself, physical conditioning is vital!"

"Oh Kami..." Tenten gasped beside Shirou. "They're egging each other on!"

The rest of the morning was a haze of running and shouts about youth, fire, and not losing to anyone. At the end of it, Shirou, Tenten, and Lee stood panting. How none of them had collapsed from exhaustion was beyond him.

"Our genin seem to have reached their limits!" Gai's smile sparkled. "I, however and good to continue!" He pointed a finger at Saber. "If you are ready to accept my challenge, let's begin!"

Saber shook her head. "I cannot leave Shirou's side. My apologies."

"Ah, that is a shame, yet it warms my heart!" Gai covered his eyes with his forearm and began to cry. "I too should show that much devotion to Lee!"

"Th...Thank you Gai-sensei!" Lee was panting heavily. The green-clad genin had helped Tenten in the last... ten, twenty laps? Shirou had lost count. Was he still wearing those weights? That was seriously impressive. Haku was going to have her work cut out for her in the finals.

"Shirou..." Tenten crouched with her hands on her knees. The kunochi beckoned him over. When he approached, she grabbed the front of his outfit with both hands. "Thank you for Harikuyo. It's the perfect gift. The nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"You're.."

"But!" Tenten interrupted him. With a surge of strength, she pulled the taller boy down so their faces were inches apart. "If you ever bring HER to another of Gai-sensei's training sessions..." The brown-haired girl looked in his eyes. Sweat glistened on her skin. "I. Will. Kill. You."

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Haku drummed her fingers impatiently. Shirou was late. Again. He hadn't shown up at all yesterday. The day before he'd been absent too! Today he got up early and went missing. She'd track him down. Haku closed her eyes. The Ice ninja centered herself, stilled her chakra. For several long minutes she stood like that. When she finally opened her eyes, they reflected the icy calm of her soul. Wherever Shirou was, Saber would be with him. Haku's sensory ability wasn't nearly precise enough to pinpoint the Servant from this distance. She got a vague impression of where there was more active chakra than not. It was good enough to start. The flux of signals was muddy and overlapped. Undoubtedly other jonin were practicing at this hour as well. She would just have to get closer.

Haku slipped into her infiltration mode. She darted along the rooftops, keeping out of sight. There was no real reason for her stealth, but it felt natural. When she was actively sensing, her own chakra was muted. Hiding herself at the same time just seemed right. The stronger chakra sources were all outside the town, in the training grounds. It made sense, that expenditure of chakra in the village would be odd. At least for everyone but Saber. So Shirou was outside. Why? Haku moved to the wall, and started circling around. She hoped they were still inside the perimeter. Going outside the walls felt risky. Why would they need to do something like that?

"Haku!" A high-pitched voice cried out. "Hey! Over here!"

Haku turned and looked. She saw a bright mop of red hair. Karin was waving at her from the middle of a training field. The one-armed kunoichi stopped her tree hoping. Shirou's cousin could be useful. She was somewhat surprised that the two of them weren't together.

"Karin." Haku nodded as she landed in front of the other kunochi.

"What are you doing around here?" The redhead smiled as she ran up.

"I'm looking for Shirou."

"You too?" The Uzumaki tilted her head. "He was supposed to meet me here half an hour ago."

Haku grunted. "It seems like my little brother is running late."

"Or running until he became late." Karin giggled. "Oh sorry, it's just that I've felt Saber's chakra circling the village for the last two hours. She's going pretty fast, and there are four other people with her, including Shirou. I think he's doing laps."

"As in running without a destination?" Haku blinked. "For training? That's... so inefficient!"

Karin shrugged. "I dunno. I don't think I'd be able to catch them, so I've just been waiting here."

Haku sighed and palmed her forehead. "At least he's safe."

"Ah!" Karin straightened. "They've stopped moving!"

"Which way?" Haku raised her head and scanned the surrounding forest. She wasn't as good of sensor as Haku, but she should be able to find Saber at least.

"Hey!" The Uzumaki stopped her foot and puffed out her cheeks. Haku raised an eyebrow at the display. It was surprisingly cute. "Don't you go running off too!"

"But I should check on Shirou."

"He'll be coming here." Karin crossed her arms and nodded. "He's going to give me a sword or something, so it'll be quicker if you just stayed put."

Haku shook her head. "It'll be quicker if I meet him halfway."

"But then I'd be left alone again!" The redhead frowned. "I know! We can talk! You're my sister-in-law after all!"

"I'm not certain that's the right term for adopted relatives."

"Ah, right." Karin blushed.

"Let's sit down while we wait." Haku motioned to a tree at the edge of the clearing. "What do you want to talk about?"

Karin began to walk with the other kunochi. "Well... what does Shirou like?"

"Swords."

"Swords?"

Haku nodded. "Swords."

"Uhm... anything else?"

Haku paused at the tree. "He also likes cooking. And, of course, he likes Naruto." She sat down.

Karin sat next to her and leaned back against the tree. "Naruto eh?"

"Hmhm." Haku wordlessly vocalized her assent.

"What about Naruto and Sasuke?" The glasses-wearing ninja turned to face her. "Do you know much about them."

"Naruto wants attention. It's odd because he genuinely seems to have high self-esteem." Haku brought her hand to her chin. "I get the impression that he doesn't have too many people close to him. Shirou and you are his only family, and that's a recent development. Most of all he wants to be acknowledged." She shrugged. "But that's not much of an observation, he does keep on going on and on about becoming Hokage."

"Oh." Karin slumped. "I didn't realize he was alone."

"I think it was worse before." Haku shrugged. "He doesn't have parents, but ever since graduating he's started to find people. Who would've imagined that his first mission outside the village would result in him meeting a long-lost cousin."

"Naruto and Shirou met on a mission?" Karin's red eyes grew wide.

Haku nodded. "I don't really want to talk about it, but yes." The Land of Waves brought back too many painful memories. Talking about Zabuza-sama would be too difficult with anyone but Shirou.

"Oh. What about Sasuke then?"

"I don't know much about him." Haku leaned back at looked up at the tree tops. "He's somewhat standoffish. I think he's an orphan too. Something happened to the Uchiha clan a couple of years ago. I'm not sure what, but I've heard him referenced as 'The Last Uchiha'. He's strong, for his age, but I think he wants to be even stronger."

"Is he... seeing anyone?" Karin's face flushed more.

"Sasuke?" Haku turned to look at the younger girl. "I don't think so, but from what I hear he actually has his own fan club. His female teammate and my instructor's daughter seem quite taken with him as well." The older ninja tilted her head. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason!" Karin held her hands up in front of her. Her face was beet red. The girl let out a sigh and muttered to herself. "I guess Naruto's the best option... He is bright and warm..."

Haku looked at the other girl. It was puzzling. What was she talking about? It was hard to understand people that weren't Shirou. Haku idly wondered if being around her brother so often had caused her sense of normalcy to become skewed.

Saber's chakra was getting closer. Haku stood up, and Karin followed her lead. In a few seconds, Shirou and his Servant appeared, walking along a path into the clearing.

"Haku! You're here!" Her brother's eyes widened. "What's going on?"

"You missed our morning spar. Again."

"What? It's that late?" Shirou scratched his head. "Sorry about that. I got roped into doing laps around the village."

"Oh?"

"Don't worry." He shook his head. "I won't be doing them again."

"Why not?" Saber spoke up from behind him. "It's a good exercise regime, and from what I saw you were able to keep pace easily enough."

"That's not the reason..." Shirou grimaced under his mask. "Let's just say we shouldn't intrude on another team's training time."

"I understand." Saber nodded. "You seem to have potential. Training is good. The better you can defend yourself the easier the War will be." The Servant then fell quiet.

"Right. In any case, I have something for Karin before we start." Shirou looked at his sister. "Is that ok Haku?"

"You might as well. We'll have to head back home afterwards to meet Inoichi."

"Ah! You're right! I need to talk to him about some new techniques too!"

"Oh?" Haku tilted her head.

"Yeah!" Shirou nodded. "Hey Karin! Look what I summoned!" Shirou reached into his pouch and took out a dagger with two handles. "Here you go!" He held it out to the other redhead. "It's just like Hiramekarei, but smaller and lighter."

"Wow..." The female Uzumaki reached out and gingerly accepted the weapon. "I can fill it with my chakra!" A light blue aura glowed around the dagger.

"Its name is 'Odoriebi', if you want help I should be able to give you some pointers!" Shirou wore a wide grin.

"'Dancing Shrimp', eh? That's hilarious Shirou." Karin said in a flat voice as she looked at the dagger.

Shirou blinked. "I thought it fit... I mean, it makes sense to keep the naming convention of its inspiration... Oh yeah! I wanted to tell you the most important thing!"

"What?" Karin looked up.

"I talked to Inoichi, and he says it's likely that you'll get to stay in the Leaf!"

"Really?" The female's red eyes started glistening.

Shirou nodded. "Really."

"Thank you!" Karin leaped forward and hugged her cousin. "I love you Shirou!"

The Sword ninja patted her head. "I love you too Karin. Now you don't have to worry about anything again. You'll be a Grass ninja through the exam, but Inoichi said that the Leaf should be able to take you in immediately afterwards."

Karin squeezed him even harder. Tears ran down her cheeks. She wore the biggest smile Haku had ever seen on her.

Shirou returned the hug. "I'll come by to help you train with Odoriebi. I'm not sure when, but I'll definitely have you master it before your match."

"Thanks." Karin's muffled voice came from his chest. "Thank you so much! I'm going to love it here!"

"I'm sure you will." Shirou rubbed her on the back. He and Haku then walked back to the Yamanaka grounds while waving goodbye.

"That was nice what you did for her." Haku nudged her brother.

Shirou nodded. "Family has to stick together. Right Haku-nee-chan?"

"Right!" Haku nodded and smiled. They continued on for a minute before she spoke up again. "Hey Shirou, where's Kubikiribocho?"

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Karin watched her cousin depart.

"Hmmm... Shirou has Haku. There chakra seems unusually in sync." The redhead furrowed her brow. "I wonder. They seem a lot closer than the brothers and sisters I've met." She let out a sigh. "Of course if I had a sibling, we might have been close like that too. Then mom might not have died and the Grass wouldn't have been so horrible..."

The teenaged girl shook her head. There'd be plenty of time to find a boyfriend in the future. Now that she got to stay in the Hidden Leaf, everything looked so much brighter! She spent a few more minutes basking in the afterglow of Saber's chakra. Shirou, Sasuke, and Naruto all had the nicest feeling to them that she'd ever felt. She could lose herself in their auras for hours. But all three of them combined were nothing compared to Saber. Karin idly wondered if the Servant had a little brother somewhere. If she did, he would have to be perfect!

Ah, well. Time to try training with Odoriebi. It was surprisingly easy to store her chakra into the blade. It really was like it was made exactly for her. The daggers fit perfectly in her hands. She split them apart and concentrated. Her chakra flowed from one to the other. A light blue aura connected the two weapons, visible to the naked eye. "Hmmm... not much loss there." She kept the bridge stable, and threw one of the daggers. It hit a training post. Her chakra stretched between it and the one she held in her hand. She flexed the connection, and her thrown projectile flew back - over her head. It landed on the ground, her chakra leash coiling around it. Karin peered down and adjusted her glasses. "Coming into contact with the ground is making my chakra dissipate quicker." She crossed her arms and watched as her chakra slowly broke apart. "So, if I don't use my chakra to enhance myself, it lasts much longer... Also, if I don't strike anything with it, it's duration is greatly increased." The redhead nodded to herself. "I can work with that. In fact, it's so much easier to manipulate the shape with Odoriebi. It does most of the work for me!"

She smiled. There were several ideas floating around in her mind. She could utilize her new weapon in dozens of ways.

Karin spent the rest of the day working hard. She didn't even take a break for lunch. The sooner she could master using Odoriebi, the sooner she could try incorporating it into her fighting style. Or develop a style around it. By the time dusk had arrived, she'd gotten her chakra to take the shape of chains. It felt natural in that form, more solid. Her chains could strike the training dummy without bleeding off any excess energy. Manipulating them used up some of their chakra, but only a small percentage. By her estimation, she'd stored half of her maximum daily chakra in Odoriebi. The other half had been used up, either through dissipation or manipulating her chains. Using any more would start to exhaust her, and increase the time it took to replenish her engergy to full.

That wasn't bad. Her daggers felt like they could hold more than a hundred times more chakra than she'd placed in them. Over thirty days, she could get them to be more than a third full - if she didn't use any for training. While Karin was certain she could improve her efficiency, 100% was a pipe dream. A better goal would to get Odoriebi up to a sixth of its capacity.

The redhead nodded to herself. That was a good start. She'd do the same thing every day until the finals.

Her stomach growled.

Well, a slight schedule adjustment was probably in order. Skipping one meal was ok, but she was burning a lot of calories. She had to stay healthy. Thankfully, her sensei had left her with a small allowance for food and supplies. It wasn't much, but she could live on it if need be. The Leaf Village had been more generous. As a finalist in the Chunin Exams, and a visitor to the Village, she could eat free at most establishments. Well, the bill was sent to the Mission Desk, but she didn't have to pay it.

She started walking back to her apartment. It was a good distance away. The area inside the Leaf's walls was truly massive.

On her way back, she felt a familiar presence. It was bright and warm, with just a hint of darkness hidden beyond the edges. Naruto. Karin tilted her head. Perhaps he was a bad boy at heart. A delinquent. Or he was trying to overcome a desperate past. Struggling against a world that hated him, with no one on his side...

The Uzumaki adjusted her path. It made perfect sense to drop in on her little brother, right?

Naruto was walking down the street, with his hands behind his head. The blonde ninja had his eyes closed, and seemed to be lost in thought. Karin moved beside him and bumped against his shoulder. "Hey, Naruto. How's it going?" She probably shouldn't play up the big sister angle... unless he was into that.

"What?" Naruto turned his head. "Oh, Hey Karin. What're you doing?"

"Just finished practicing, Now I'm looking for dinner." Her stomach let out a growl. Karin blushed and quickly explained. "I skipped lunch!"

"You too?" The blonde broken into a huge grin. "I had pervy sage keeping me busy. What's your excuse?"

"I was training with a sword Shirou made me!" Karin couldn't help but smile back.

"Shirou made you a sword?" Naruto crossed his arms.

"Yeah..." Karin couldn't understand the boy's body language. "Are you jealous? If you want one, I'm sure he'll make another!"

"Nah." The blonde shook his head. "That's not it. I just get the feeling that if I hang out with Shirou, he'll just try to fight all my battles for me."

"Is that a bad thing?" The redheaded Uzumaki looked over as she walked alongside.

"Well, yeah!" Naruto looked back at her. "If I'm going to be Hokage, then I have to give it my all! I can't let Shirou do everything for me. How'll I get strong if I don't fight?"

"I dunno." Karin looked up wistfully. "The idea of someone protecting me... it makes me happy. It reminds me of my mom."

Naruto opened his eyes. Karin could feel his chakra swell. "That sounds nice. You must have had a good childhood."

The female Uzumaki shook her head. "No, not really. It was great until she was killed by the Grass Ninja."

"What?!"

Karin let out a sigh. "She had a powerful bloodline ability. She could heal people, but it was very taxing on her." Karin's hands clenched into fists. "But that was the only way the Grass would let us stay! She gave them everything, so I would have a home!" The teenage kunochi could feel her body warming up, and her voice rising. "And what did they do? They worked her to death!"

"Man, that sucks." Naruto put a tentative hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

Karin blinked away her tears. "It's in the past." She relaxed her fists and tried to calm down. "Haku told me you had a rough childhood too."

"Nah." The blonde crossed his arms behind his head again. "I didn't have a family, and lots of people were mean to me, but there were a few that looked out for me. I had the old man, and Iruka-sensei too. Now I'm getting more and more precious people. Soon I'll prove to everyone what I'm worth."

"Prove to the people that were mean to you?"

"Well, yeah." Naruto looked puzzled.

"Why would you want to do that?" Karin's shoulders slumped. "I couldn't see myself doing it for the people that were mean to me. In fact, even before I met Shirou... I was thinking of running away from the Grass."

"Really?"

Karin nodded. "It was just so full of bad memories, and people that didn't care about me. To them I was a portable medic. Useless for anything else. Expendable. Why wouldn't I run?" She shook her head. "I don't see why you'd try to impress people that obviously don't care about you."

"Running doesn't get you anywhere." Naruto stopped in the street, and hung his head. His eyes were hidden in his shadow. "I should know. I tried running away from the orphanage when the other kids were mean. It didn't stop them from being mean. It didn't stop the look in the adults' eyes. I played pranks. In part to get even. In part to get attention. When I joined the Ninja Academy, I was so hopeful, but nothing changed." The young boy sniffed and blinked. His eyes were watery. "Then I met Iruka-sensei. He was just like everyone else at first. He ignored me. Looked at me like all the adults did..."

Karin stood next to Naruto, spellbound by his words. Even like this, his chakra was so warm and bright. So... empathetic.

She blinked. That was the difference between the two of them. She could sense other people, but Naruto could really feel them. He put himself in their shoes. That was why he was so passionate. How he'd been able to go on a mission, and come back with Shirou and Haku. That wasn't all, his chakra conveyed his feelings. Naruto could probably convince a rock to move out of his way if he tried. Karin marveled. Could she... be like him?

"Then Iruka changed." Naruto continued. "He stopped ignoring me and yelled at me. I... I was so happy." Tears overflowed from his eyes. "He finally acknowledged me!" Naruto sniffed again and looked up. "That's why I want to make everyone else acknowledge me as well!" The blonde shook his head. "Man, what am I saying over here? You don't want to hear anything like that!" He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, Karin. Just a lot of memories came back y'know?"

The red-haired kunochi shook her head. "No, don't be sorry." She blinked back her tears. "You really are someone special, do you know that?"

"Huh?" Naruto squinted and tilted his head.

"So... how often do you see Iruka?"

"Not often, I'm busy with training and my team!" Naruto grinned and thumbed his chest.

"So it's the same as Shirou... You don't visit him either. I think I understand now." Karin could feel the blood rushing to her face.

"Understand what? Besides I see Shirou at Ichiraku's when I eat dinner there." Naruto looked up at her and blinked. "What's wrong Karin?! Your face is all red."

"Oh, something you might understand one day." She felt her cheeks burning. Did she have the courage?... Yes! She'd go for it! The redhead leaned forward and kissed her fellow Uzumaki on the cheek. "Thanks for talking with me, Naruto. I may have turned my back on the Grass, but I'll make sure everyone in the Leaf accepts and acknowledges me!" She turned away from the sputtering blonde, and started walking down the street. "Oh, and for the record. I think you're a great ninja, and will definitely be Hokage someday!"

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Sakura sat in her room. She just couldn't seem to muster the motivation to go out and do anything. Both of her teammates were in the finals. She would be the only one that stayed a genin. It wasn't strange that Sasuke was doing well, but Naruto? Sure, he had surprisingly improved since the academy, but he was the Dead Last. The only direction he had to go was up. She had been the top female ninja, and what had she done since then? Tenten, Karin, and Haku had all advanced. Three kunochis that were better than her. At least in combat, but that seemed to be the only thing that mattered nowadays.

Enough moping around... She'd go visit Sasuke! Sakura put her performance out of her mind and set off. She spent the next couple of hours scouring the village and the training grounds. There was no sign of the raven-haired Uchiha. She hadn't even bumped into Naruto. She'd come across most of the other finalists training, but her teammates seemed MIA.

Her shoulders slumped as she walked back. What was she doing with her life? What did she want to do in the future? Haku had said she could help with motivation and training. Or rather she'd said she could help with one of those. Sakura stopped. She was close to the Yamanaka clan grounds. She still knew them pretty well, even if she didn't visit Ino anymore. Well, she had nothing better to do. She hadn't talked with the Ice ninja much. On the way back from the Land of Waves Haku kept to herself. Sakura hadn't approached her either, since she was a foreign ninja. Now she was a member of the Leaf, so it should be fine to talk with her. Right?

Sakura made her way to Ino's house. She waved at a couple of people she recognized from her youth. The Yamanaka's were always a nice clan. Friendly and open. Their clan grounds reflected their personality. The buildings were spread far enough apart for comfort, but close enough that visiting was commonplace. They didn't even have any walls.

As she approached her old friend's house, she saw Haku sitting outside a smaller shed to the south. The kunochi wasn't wearing her usual mask. In fact, she wasn't wearing much at all. She had bandages around her chest, but the rest of her upper body was naked. Sakura stared. She hadn't really noticed before since Haku tended to hide her face, but the girl was beautiful. Sakura shook her head. Shirou's sister really had everything going for her didn't she. The pink-haired kunochi turned to leave. Haku was busy doing something.

"You come all this way Sakura, just to turn around?" Haku's voice carried across the field.

"Oh, sorry!" Sakura turned back around and approached the sitting girl. "You looked busy training, so I didn't want to disturb you."

"I am training, but I would welcome some conversation."

"Really? Won't that be... counter-productive?" Sakura tilted her head. She was now close enough to make out drops of water moving across the older girl's skin.

"Not at all." Haku shook her head, and looked at the other kunochi. "My training right now if focusing on multi-tasking." The black-haired girl smiled. "So talking with you will actually help in that regard."

"Oh!" Sakura eyes widened a bit. "Well, then I'll be glad to assist you!" She smiled. "Especially if it just means chatting, that's the kind of training I can get behind!"

"Conversation is a trainable skill, just like any other." One by one, the drops of water on Haku's skin turned to ice. The frozen spheres kept rolling around. "Did you have anything you wanted to discuss?"

"No... not really."

"Are you certain?" Haku tilted her head. "The Yamanaka grounds are out of the way. Surely you came for a reason?"

"I'm friends with Ino." Sakura sat down. "Or I was years ago. I used to come here all the time."

"So you came to visit Ino?" Haku nodded. "I think she's working at her family flower shop."

"No..." Sakura sighed. "I was looking for Sasuke, but I couldn't find him. Heck, I didn't even find Naruto." Sakura rested her hands on her lap. "I was passing by, and I thought about our match."

"Ah." Haku nodded. "I tried to end things quickly. I'm sorry if I was too rough on you."

"That's not!" Sakura stopped, and hung her head. She gripped her skirt. "No, that kinda is the point. I'm the weakest member of our group. It's depressing."

"Someone will always be the weakest in a group." Haku smiled softly. The ice balls turned back to water. "At least in some aspect. There must be areas that you're stronger than your teammates."

"Academics... and I guess chakra control." The pinkette shook her head. "But being smart doesn't seem to matter as much as fighting now. I was the top of my class, and Naruto was the Dead Last. Now, he's out-performing me!" Sakura let out a sigh. "I just don't get it."

"Hmmm... Remember when I said I could help your motivation?"

"After the match?" Sakura looked up. "You said that you could help with either motivation or training, but you didn't really specify."

Haku chuckled. It caused the water droplets to shake, and two fell off. "Ah, I lost focus there!" Haku closed her eyes and concentrated, two bits of ice formed on her to replace the lost water. "There." She reopened her eyes. "Anyways, I remember. I did mean motivation, everything stems from that."

"Really?"

Haku nodded. "If you have someone to protect, that's when you truly become strong."

"Like you and Shirou." Sakura relaxed her hands. "But Naruto and Sasuke don't have that, and they're strong."

"Don't be so sure about Naruto." Haku chucked again, this time the water drops stayed in place. "I had a very similar talk with him once. He knew quite well what I meant about protecting people."

"What about Sasuke?"

"Sasuke... is weak."

"WHAT?!" Sakura's hand went to her mouth. She hadn't intended to shout. "What do you mean Sasuke is weak? He's the strongest ninja in the finals."

"I'm not so sure about that, but it's beside the point." Haku closed her eyes. "Sasuke is driven, but that doesn't make him strong. Just the opposite. I don't know what his goal is, but what will happen to him when he reaches it?"

Sakura remained silent. She had no idea.

Haku continued. "He'll replace it with another, and another. Or he'll stop improving. One will lead to his destruction, the other to his deterioration."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself." Sakura frowned. Where did Haku get off talking about Sasuke like she knew him!

The dark-haired kunochi shrugged. "I suppose I'm making assumptions, but I've seen lots of shinobi like him. Consumed by grief or anger. Often both. They lash out, and strive for power for power's sake." Haku shook her head. "Far too many of that ilk died at Zabuza-sama's hands." The one-armed kunochi let out a sigh. "But you're right. I don't know him. I shouldn't speculate like that. What I do know is myself and Shirou. We're strong because we protect each other. It's a goal that's ongoing, and that we're devoted to. We'll both just keep getting stronger. No matter what." Haku looked into the other girl's eyes. "What's your goal Sakura? What do you strive for?"

"Uhm..." The pink-haired girl thought back to her first day on Team 7. Kakashi had asked something similar. Sakura blushed thinking of her response. She couldn't say it then, and she couldn't say it now.

"Ah, I see."

"What?!" Sakura sat up straight. "I didn't say anything!"

"Not with words, but conversation is a trainable skill. Remember?" Haku gave her a small smile. "I'm going to make some more assumptions now, but I think your motivation is a fine one."

"Really?" Sakura leaned forward.

"At least in theory." Haku closed her eyes. "Romance is turbulent. It can be a powerful storm that pushes you forward. Or it can capsize your boat and leave you stranded." The Ice ninja shook her head and opened her eyes. "I've seen a wide variety of people driven by their love and devotion." Her voice took a soft mournful tone to it, as if the girl was speaking from personal experience. "Some were powerful ninja, and some were little more than speed-bumps."

"Which am I?"

"Right now, I'd have to say the later."

"Oh." Sakura slumped.

"My advice to you is this: Don't give up your love. Keep it in your heart, but don't use it for motivation to excel as a ninja."

Sakura blinked. "Then what should I do to get stronger?"

"How about focusing on your other strengths?" Haku tilted her head. "I have an idea, I think it will help both your motivation and training."

"Really?" Sakura leaned forward. "What is it?"

"In my youth, I figured out how to make signs with one hand." Haku chuckled. "I didn't think it would become as useful as it has." She looked down at her missing limb, and let out a sigh. "The theory is complicated, and the chakra control needed is extreme. My continued advancement has halted for obvious reasons. I think a smart, driven kunochi with perfect chakra control might just pick up where I left off."

"What do you mean?"

"One-handed seals have several innate advantages. You aren't as vulnerable using them. Jutsu can be performed quicker. Opposing ninja will have a harder time predicting your techniques. All of that is only a fraction of their potential." Haku formed a stick out of ice and began drawing in the dirt between them. "Forming a seal with one hand, means using only part of your chakra network. So if you form different seals with each hand..." The stick figure she drew had 'water' on its left and 'wind' on its right. "You can use the signs that correspond to adding shape to chakra or adjusting its element at the same time. I'm not sure what the results would be." A question mark was drawn in front of the stick figure. "For me, wind and water create Ice. I'm not sure what they'd make without my Yuki bloodline, but it's just one of ten possible combinations that you could test... Provided you can increase your affinity with all the basic elements."


	11. The Chunin Exams 6

Shirou looked at the sword floating in mid-air. It was a good start he supposed, but it was hardly a combat-ready technique. Really, he was just happy that he'd been able to form chakra threads... with the assistance of actual wires. Five wires on one sword wasn't very efficient either. From what he could grasp from Tenten's weapons, she could do it with one. Kankuro could control the far more complex Karasu with five. The puppeteer didn't need ninja wire as a conductor either.

"That's pretty impressive Shirou." Inoichi nodded from the side.

"Thank you sensei, but it's not something that's usable in a fight."

"Hmmmm..." The jonin walked up to the suspended sword and looked it over. "No, not as it is. There are too many wires for it to be a surprise, and it's not close to maneuverable enough to be a realistic form of attack."

Shirou slumped. "Yeah."

"You've only been working on it one day." The older ninja chuckled. "Don't you think this is a good start?"

"I know it is, especially since it's the first jutsu I've been able to perform apart from reinforcement and summoning." Shirou cocked his head. He should probably add forging to that list. Or altering already exiting swords. "It's just since the second exam I've had so many ideas of stuff I want to try."

"Oh?"

Shirou had his sword slowly begin to float back towards him. "I want to see if I can summon Karasu, but I don't know what the implications of that would be. I want to get chakra threads working in a more usable form. I want to see if I can alter Shibuki - make it usable at range. I want to improve my swordsmanship. I want..."

"Whoa, hold up there!" Inoichi raised his hands. "I think those are all good goals. Useful, potent, and most of all achievable. However, you simply don't have enough time. You need to prioritize."

Shirou grabbed his floating sword, and started removing the wire wrapping it. "I think the most important one is my bukijutsu." The redhead thought to what he'd seen of the other chunin candidates. He would need more training to reach their level. Not to mention Orochimaru. "Shibuki would be a close second."

"Really?" The blonde's eyebrows raised. "Don't you think it's a bit much for the chunin exams?"

Shriou shook his head. "I was thinking more about what might come outside of the exams. I need to be ready." He glanced over at Saber. She solemnly stood off the side as usual.

"Is that why you wanted permission to train outside the Village?" Inoichi asked.

"Yeah." Shirou sheathed his sword and nodded. "I wouldn't want to disturb other people or destroy a training ground."

"Hmm..." The Yamanaka head brought his hand to his chin. "With the amount of explosive tags you'd be experimenting on, that might be a good idea. I'll start the paperwork for you. I don't think I can help with improving your melee skills." The ninja looked over at the other blonde. "With Haku busy, you could spar with Saber. If she'll agree to go easy on you."

"You do not improve by having your opponent diminish their skill. You improve by raising your own to their level." Saber's quite voice carried surprisingly well. "I will spar with you. If you so wish. I will not, however, 'go easy' on you."

Shirou glanced over. He hadn't thought about having his Servant teach him. If he could become a fraction as powerful as her... "Thank you Saber." He gave her a bow. "I would appreciate it." She gave a nod in return.

"It's settled then." Inoichi strolled away. "I'll let you know when I have the gate passes ready. Come to me for anything else, otherwise I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sensei!" Shirou turned to look at his Servant. "Haku will be working with him now. For a while it looks like I'm on my own for lunch. Would you like to eat today Saber?"

"I would enjoy some more ramen."

Shirou though about the bill from last night. "Why don't we save that for dinner and... Special occasions."

"Hunger is the enemy."

"Right, well, let's go into town then."

The pair walked from the Yamanaka grounds to the shopping section of the village. There were still a lot of restaurants here that he hadn't tried. He could also buy some ingredients and make something at home. That way Haku could eat too. Shirou's thoughts were disrupted when an arm wrapped around his shoulders. The redhead struggled, but was quickly put in a headlock, his cheek pressed up against something soft and warm.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite genin!" Knuckles ground against the top of his head.

"Anko, you could just say hello!" The special-jonin's grip was too strong to escape.

"Where's the fun in that?" She raised him up and tilted her head to look in his eyes. "Hmmm... You know what?"

"What?" Shirou gulped.

"You should take that mask off." In a quick flurry, Shirou's head was laid bare. "You've been spending too much time with Kakashi. The last thing you need to do is pick up more of his habits."

"I don't spend any time with Kakashi!" Shirou still couldn't get out of her grip. Saber, once again, held no pity for his social plights. "Ninja are supposed to wear masks!"

"Even when they're not doing ninja things?" Anko smirked. "I don't see any Anbu out buying groceries in their uniforms."

"Uhm..." Shirou stopped his futile struggles. She had a point.

"So what have you been up to?" The purple-haired kunochi's eyes gleamed. "I've been feeling like a million ryo ever since you got that thing off of me!" She moved her lips to his ear and whispered. "I want to thank you for that."

"Saber and I were going to have lunch." Shirou decided to answer the first part of Anko's statement.

"Oh!" She released her hold on him. "So was I! C'mon there's a great little dango shop right around the corner. My treat!"

Shirou's ears picked up at that last part. "Sure!"

The trio walked together to the restaurant. Anko threw open the door. "Ten, no, twenty plates of dango!" The staff bustled in response. They were used to Anko's sudden large orders. The trench-coat wearing kunochi led them to a booth and motioned for Shirou to sit. She then claimed the seat next to him, blocking off his escape route. "Excited for the third exam?"

"A little."

"What are you doing to train for it?" The older kunochi placed her arm on the back of the booth, behind the now mask-less ninja.

Shirou cocked his head. "Should I tell you? Won't it interfere with your objectiveness?"

"Hah!" She slapped him on the back. "You're a pretty straight-arrow for a ninja! I was the proctor for the second stage, I've already given my evaluation to the Hokage. The paperwork's finished and filed. That's why I can hang out with you from now on!"

"Well..."

"C'mon, you can tell big-sis-Anko!"

Big sis? Shirou blinked. That did make it easier to talk to her. The redhead failed to notice Anko's eyes narrow at his reaction to her words or her grin.

"I'm going to try and improve my melee skills, and find a way to use Shibuki better."

"Shibuki? That explosive tag ax thing you can summon?"

"Oh right, you were there in T&I." Shirou nodded. "It's powerful, but too dangerous to fully unleash at close range. I want to find a way to utilize it better."

"Why's that?" Anko smirked. "Want to blow up some of your competition?"

"No, nothing like that." Shirou shook his head. "I want to be ready if Orochimaru or someone like him comes after my family again."

Anko's expression fell flat. "You don't need to worry about that. If that snake-loving bastard comes close to our village again, I'll make sure it's the last thing he ever does!"

Shirou and Saber both blinked at the female ninja's sudden change in expression. Not to mention the bloodlust that was radiating from her.

"Well..." Shirou couldn't think of anything to say in response.

"Here're your first plates!" The waiter set three plates with three dango apiece on the table.

Just like that, the bloodlust evaporated like it had never been there. "All right! Dig in!"

Saber tentatively grabbed the end of a skewer. She raised the sweet concoction to her mouth and took a bite.

"What do you think?" Shirou studied his Servant's face, but it remained as emotionless as always.

Saber chewed thoughtfully before swallowing. "I enjoy it. It's nicer than tea, but ramen is better."

"What?" Anko recoiled. "Blasphemy! You just need to eat more!" She motioned with her free hand. "Waiter, bring us a sampler platter!"

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"I have the medical results of all the chunin exam finalists." The young silver-haired man held an armful of scrolls. "I'm supposed to deliver them for storage."

"Oh, hey Kabuto." The frazzled looking kunochi looked up. "Sorry to hear about your team's performance in stage 2, but you have perfect timing. I just got the second proctor's reports. They all need to be filed, and then I can start going over them to come up with write-ups for the VIPs."

The glasses-wearing ninja looked at the stacks of scrolls already on the desk. "So where should I put them?"

"Ah." The girl looked over the desk. "Forget what I said about good timing."

"Well, you don't need all of them to write a report up. Right?" Kabuto jerked his head towards a side room. "Why not put them all over there, and just bring out the files for each participant in turn?"

"That's not exactly protocol, but there are so many finalists..."

"I'm not due back at the Hospital for an hour." The silver-haired genin smiled. "I could give you a hand. Make sure they aren't left unattended."

"Really?" The desk clerk smiled. "That'd be a big help. There aren't nearly enough people with the clearance to handle these scrolls around."

"Tell me about it." Kabuto smirked. "I think I was picked just because they needed a gopher.."

"I'll take all the help I can get."

Kabuto just smiled and nodded as he helped move about half the scrolls to the side room. He made sure that certain scrolls were in the pile he'd be in charge of. He already knew all of the most vital knowledge he was after. Medical records told a lot of information, even if the best parts were left out. It was fairly simple to read between the lines: This test was done, but the results weren't on his scroll. That person was called in to supervise. Of course, he'd broken into the non redacted records earlier. It had been a little messy, he'd need to leave soon, but a few extra nuggets of insight never hurt. Navigating the Hokage tower for low-ranked information paid off surprisingly well.

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Haku watched Shirou be completely humiliated by Saber. Her brother was trying to put up a good fight, but the blonde woman struck him at her leisure. From the sidelines Haku could barely see her moves. She flowed flawlessly from one strike to the next. Shirou must be having an even worse time. The one-armed kunochi shook her head. Saber's chakra was still at its resting state. If she didn't know what the Servant was capable of, it would seem that the swordswoman was going all out. As it was, her presence was merely that of a jonin.

"I think I should join in." Haku walked forward during a lull.

"Oh?" Saber cocked an eyebrow. Shirou sat while gasping for air and didn't respond.

Haku nodded. "I know we'll be fighting by ourselves in the exam, but everywhere else Shirou and I are a team. This would be good practice for us."

Saber placed her wooden training sword in the ground. Her hands rested atop its pommel. "You make a valid point Haku. Comradery is a good trait to have. You should both grow individually and as a pair." The blonde woman nodded. "Very well, let us commence."

Saber lowered her stance and held her sword low and behind her. Her body blocked Haku's sight of the blade. Brother and sister spread out in unison, but Saber didn't give them time to flank her. The Servant burst forward at an unremarkable speed. For sparring, she had stopped moving at superhuman levels. Her strength had also been reduced. Saber's skill with her sword remained. Shirou wouldn't stand a chance. Haku threw senbons, but Saber ignored them. The spikes bounced off her armor without effect. In a matter of seconds, Shirou was on the ground. Haku now had the blonde's undivided attention. The masked ninja was quicker than how fast the Servant was currently moving, but in a real fight she wouldn't have left Shirou's side. With retreat not being an option, the spar quickly concluded.

Time and time again, variations of that pattern repeated themselves. With Hiramekarei, Shirou could last longer. It wasn't possible for him to summon the chakra sword for each spar. The same held true for Haku's mirrors. In their final attempt of the night, the pair went all out. Iced ground, mirrors, chakra cloaks, none of it made a difference in the end. All their techniques did was delay Saber's inevitable victory. It was frustrating. They lost not because of their opponent's superior speed or strength. Saber won with pure skill. She always seemed to be in the right place to capitalize on mistakes. Her sword and armor managed to block every attack. Her parries didn't hinder her offense. She moved from one to another so seamlessly that it would be wrong to categorize them as different.

Haku bent over. She lowered her mask so she could breath easier. Sweat covered her. She was going to have a long soak in the bath tonight. From the side of the training field someone started clapping. Haku raised her head and looked to the side. Inoichi moved closer. She felt ashamed. She hadn't sensed his approach.

"That was very impressive." The jonin smiled. "You and Shirou work to cover each other very nicely."

Haku shook her head. "It still wasn't enough."

The Yamanaka put his hand on her shoulder. "There will always be opponents that you can't defeat, no matter how hard you try. That doesn't mean that victory is beyond your grasp." He gave a squeeze before walking over to Shirou. "You can lose a fight, but still succeed in your mission. As long as the two of you work together and keep each other safe, then I think you'll do very well."

Shirou stood up. His heavy breathing was already subsiding. Haku envied her brother's stamina at times. "Of course, Haku and I will always protect one another." He pulled off his hood to reveal a huge grin. "Saber is a great sparring partner." He looked over at the blonde. "I now realize just how much I have to improve. Plus, we can go all-out against her without any fear of hurting her."

Saber closed her eyes and gave a solemn nod at Shirou's statement. She had resumed her resting stance, with her hands atop her wooden sparring sword.

"Yes." The blonde jonin glanced over. "I don't think hurting her would be an issue."

Haku walked over to join the conversation. "What are you doing here Sensei? Are we going to have another training session."

Inoichi's ponytail waved side to side as he shook his head. "No. I think you can handle the exercises I gave you on your own for now. I came to talk to Shirou."

"Oh?" Haku's brother's eyes widened a bit.

"I've found a appropriate place for you to train outside the village, and obtained gate passes for you and Saber."

"Ah! So quickly? We just talked about it this morning." Shirou bowed. "That's great Sensei."

"What about me?" Haku didn't like this idea. "Don't I get a pass also?"

"Did you need one?" Inoichi looked at her.

Haku nodded. "If Shirou's going to be outside the village, I want to be with him. There's no telling what could happen."

"I'll have Saber with me." Shirou waved a hand back and forth. "You shouldn't disrupt your training just to watch me."

If Haku had two arms, she would've crossed them. As it was, she settled for making a fist at her side. "I can do both at the same time." She let out a huff. "It IS the point of my exercises after all."

"Still..."

"Wait." Inoichi held up a hand. "I can get you a pass. Honestly I was already planning on going along as well. I'm interested in what Shirou's trying to accomplish."

"Good." Haku nodded.

"Hmmm..." Shirou leaned back and looked at the sun on the horizon. "It's almost sunset?!" He glanced around the clearing. "Thanks for the passes Sensei, but I have to get to Ichiraku's!"

Inoichi chuckled. "By all means. I know how much your apprenticeship means to you."

"Thanks!" Shirou began to walk away.

"I think I'll try some Miso ramen tonight." Saber calmly stated as she walked after him.

"Why don't you wait and eat with Haku and me?" Shirou turned to look at his Servant. "I usually cook for us with the leftovers."

"Really?"

"Yeah." The redhead shrugged. "I'm not as good as Teuchi, but it's cheaper."

"How so?"

"He let's me take home the unused food. He insists on buying his ingredients fresh every day."

"That is a most prudent course of action." Saber commented as she strode next to her Master. "Frugality is a virtue."

"I hope you'll like my cooking."

"So far, everything I've had since being summoned has been far more enjoyable then the cuisine of my youth." The pair were far away, but Haku swore she saw the blonde woman smile. "I'm sure the meal you prepare will be more than adequate."

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Neji scowled as he walked through the Hyuga compound. He wasn't getting anywhere sparring with his fellow clan-mates. Even the adults weren't strong enough to challenge him. At least the adults that had free time to spend helping him train. What he really needed to work on was the heavenly spin. Lee and Tenten were both in the finals, so he couldn't go to them for help. Trying to reproduce the main family jutsu within range of so many Byakugan would be foolish. He needed to find a training ground away from the clan-grounds. Ideally, he could also use a sparring partner that would show some discretion.

Neji sighed.

It seemed fate was once again against him. A sparring partner would be nice, but he would make do on his own. The Hyuga genin was more concerned about his first round opponent. Shirou Uzumaki. The mask-wearing ninja hadn't been forced to reveal many of his techniques. If the Nara had only been able to push him further, Neji might have something to work with. As it was, the facts he knew about Shirou were few and far between.

Thankfully, his match had come after his own, so Neji hadn't been conserving his chakra. With the Byakugan active, he could see what others missed, but it still made no sense. Shirou didn't have any tenketsu. He didn't even have chakra coils! His pathways were far too numerous, and in thin jagged lines. They didn't even connect to his internal organs! It seemed fate had decreed Neji had to fight at a disadvantage.

No tenketsu was a problem, but not an insurmountable one. The Gentle Fist could project chakra into anything. Shutting down tenketsu was effective and simple. They were on the surface, and most ninja relied on them to expel and shape their chakra. He would just have to go deeper. An idea struck Neji. That was how he would train. All he needed was an opponent wearing thick armor. Pushing chakra through that would be the same as bypassing Shirou's lack of tenketsu. He could also try using the Gentle Fist, but without targeting only the tenketsu. His fellow Hyuga wouldn't like it. It would take more chakra and longer contact for the same effect.

He wouldn't be able to disable the Uzumaki with one strike, not without being able to see the network around his organs. Neji smiled. He'd still be able to shut down his opponent's system. It would be difficult, and take a lot more time and chakra, but the young genius was certain he could do it. The one technique Shirou had shown in the preliminaries didn't concern him. His talent at putting his own chakra into his clothing to create armor was impressive, but useless against a Hyuga. Anything that had chakra in it - the Gentle Fist could cut.

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*BOOM*

Shibuki flew above Shirou's head and embedded itself in the ground behind the trio.

"That's an improvement." Saber nodded at the scroll-sword. "You could have caught it if you'd so wished."

"Yeah..." Shirou gazed down into the crevice he was using to practice. He, Haku, and Saber were camped at a small peninsula that extended several yards in. The outcropping housed a tree significantly larger than the others in the area. Its roots were probably why the small jut of land still existed. "It didn't get tangled up in the branches at least. Judging the trajectory Shibuki will take after the explosion is hard."

"You could go back to using ninja wire." Haku sat cross-legged at the base of the tree. She had one eye open from her meditation training. "If you reinforce it enough, then it should be able to survive the explosion."

"At the very least, the randomness of the first day has been corrected." Saber nodded from where she stood.

Shirou palmed his face. "Man, that was bad. I'm glad Inoichi was here for it." The thought of Shibuki's tags going off sequentially hadn't been scary at first. In practice, it sent the sword into the air, and then propelled it in random directions. "Having a mass of hundreds of explosive tags hurtling towards us isn't an experience I want to repeat."

"Your efforts to have them detonate simultaneously has born fruit." Saber regarded the latest crater. "The explosion was impressive and much more confined."

Shirou shook his head and looked at the blast-sword. "I still need to adjust its weight distribution. It's harder to throw accurately than it should be."

Saber didn't reply immediately. The Servant raised her head and turned towards the forest. "Do you hear music?"

"Huh?" Shirou had reinforced his ears for durability. The multiple explosions had been causing ringing before. Now he poured chakra into them, focusing on improving their performance. He heard a high-pitched sound. "Yeah, I do. What kind of music is that?"

"If I am not mistaken, it is a flute." Saber tilted her head. "Do you think there is a wandering minstrel in these parts?"

"A wandering minstrel?"

The Servant nodded. "A musician that goes from castle to castle, singing and providing entertainment and news."

"I've never heard of something like that." Shirou paused. "Do you think it's something a Hidden Village would have?"

"No." The blonde woman's eyes narrowed. "It is not."

Shirou picked up a whisper from the tree-line. The music had grown louder, so it was hard to make out the words. "...not working." "Now what?"

"I'll go." A figure in a lavender kimono with a thick purple rope as a belt stepped out of the foliage. His vivid green eyes and red dots above them were in high contrast to his white hair and pale skin.

The man charged.

He moved fast. He covered the hundreds of yards between them in the blink of an eye. The next thing Shirou realized, there was a thin white sword passing to the right of his head. He grasped it. It had no history, no forging process. His eyes traveled up the shaft to where it rested in the newcomer's palm. The pommel was shaped like a bone. His bone was his sword. His sword was his bone. He was the bone of his sword. The thought stuck in Shirou's head. The very idea resonated within him.

"Shirou! Get back!" To his left Saber cried out. She had her hands up - her invisible sword deflecting the attack.

"Haku!" The masked ninja drew his butterfly swords and stepped back to his sister. Her head was slumped, and her body leaned backwards against the massive tree. "Saber! Something's wrong with Haku!" His Servant didn't reply.

"Dance of the Camellia!" The man shouted and exploded in a flurry of motion. His sword became a blur. He stabbed in a quick, irregular pattern. Shirou had trouble following each strike, but Saber's invisible blade parried them all. The white-haired ninja's eyes narrowed. "You are skilled. As expected of one that gave Lord Orochimaru such trouble." He raised his empty hand. "Five-Finger Drilling Bullet!" Five spikes flew from his fingertips towards Haku's unconscious form.

Shirou moved to intercept, as did Saber. The Servant imposed herself, and the bone-darts bounced harmlessly off her breastplate. "Shirou, I need to move this fight for your safety. Summon me with a command seal if you're in trouble."

The redhead nodded. "I'll stay with Haku!"

Saber vanished. There was a sound of thunderclap. She stood where their attacker had been. Her arms extended in a wide swing. She hadn't gone for cutting force. A gale of wind followed her strike. The pale ninja was swept into the air, flung high over the forest. Saber bent her knees, and then leapt in pursuit.

"Haku." Shirou turned his head, but the sound of something flying through the air made him turn back. A golden kunai headed towards his sister. Once again, Shirou couldn't fully grasp it. It wasn't forged. It was a creation of some jutsu. "No!" The redhead brought a sword down and deflected the projectile.

"Ah, it's a FPS game." A voice came from the woods. "I'm down for that."

The music stopped. "Kidomaru, you eight-limbed freak, get on with it. The girl is resisting my genjutsu!" A female voice gave an angry whisper before the flute started up again.

"Tayuya, there is no need for language like that." A deep voice whispered. "Kidomaru, you know our mission."

"Relax, Jirobo, she's a sitting duck. We need to eliminate her anyways, so it's better to do it now when she can't fight back." There was a chuckle. "With Sakon and Ukon leaving to go after Kimimaro, I'm in charge!"

"We should attack together."

"Shut up! I won't have you kill-stealing!"

Shirou's eyes narrowed. They were talking about killing Haku so calmly! Three kunai came from different points in the woods. They were all aimed at Haku, but Shirou had a defensible position. His feet and swords blurred. The masked ninja knocked the golden projectiles from the air before they could get close to his sister. She'd lost her arm because of his failure in the Land of Waves. Not a single attack would get past his defenses this time.

"Heh. Looks like I'll need a full auto powerup for this."

Shirou backed up slowly. He needed to get to Haku. Wake her up somehow. He didn't dare turn his back towards the woods...

Dozens of golden kunai arched through the air. They had come from across the entire tree-line. How had three people thrown so many? On his own, he could dodge the majority and deflect the rest. Shirou didn't move. He had to cover Haku, but he couldn't deflect them all!

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Kimimaro coughed up blood as he ran from his landing spot. His bone armor had protected him from the brunt of the blonde woman's attack, but his lungs were racked by the disease he'd contracted. He wiped his lips. It was nothing. He was still useful to Orochimaru-sama. Right now it was more important to out-flank her. He needed to regain the initiative.

"Kimimaro!" Sakon called out as he ran forward. "What happened? You and that armored shit vanished." It was impressive that the brothers had found him so quickly.

"She is as skilled as one would expect of a person that withstood Orochimaru." Kimimaro could feel her chakra suddenly making a bee-line towards them. "Look out, she's coming."

As if on cue, the blonde girl emerged behind the brothers. Sakon turned. "I'll show you how it's done!" Ukon's legs emerged alongside his brother's. They gave Sakon a boost of speed, which he used to charge the woman. There was a shimmer in the air as she raised her arms.

Sakon fell onto the ground. He'd been bisected from bottom to top. Saber paused as his blood fountained out. Kimimaro narrowed his eyes. She was dangerous. Sakon had been reckless, trusting that his speed was superior. The girl had killed him without pausing for even an instant. She had taken his life with no hesitation. Her invisible blade was hard to read. Even Sakon's blood didn't cling to it. His death hadn't even given Kimimaro that advantage.

Saber stepped forward. She was wary. Even with her speed, skill, and strength, she still approached slowly. That would be a mistake.

"I have you now!" Ukon reached out of his brother's corpse. He'd already advanced to the second stage of his seal. It was the only thing keeping him alive at the moment. Sakon's damage would be his own. Ukon's demonic hand grabbed her ankle. "I think I'll enjoy joining you in your body!" The girl looked down impassively. Ukon's grin faltered. "What's going on? Why can't I merge?"

"This world has too many people that can survive being cut in half." Saber spoke in a low voice before whipping her arm down. Ukon's head flew from his body.

Now.

Ukon had distracted her. The woman's invisible sword was out of place for the moment. Kimimaro activated the first stage of his seal as he charged. "Dance of the Willow!" He grew bones from his palms, elbows, back, and knees. The Sound ninja leapt forward, spinning through the air. The first strike was at her temple, the next at her knee. Throat, arms, stomach - Kimimaro would pierce her all over.

She blocked!

Every strike was parried! Even after he landed, Kimimaro continued to spin, but his flurry of attacks was ineffective. Despite having ten times the blades of his adversary, he didn't manage to land a single blow. How was this possible? Was her taijutsu that superior to his own? No one was that skilled!

Saber counter-attacked. Her invisible blade began to strike past his guard. The bone-membrane saved the last of the Kaguya clan, but her strikes drove him back.

"How?" The Sound ninja growled after he slid to a stop. "How are you able to surpass my taijutsu so completely?!"

The woman's blue eyes narrowed. "For a youngster like you to think so highly of his own skill... That is the kind of arrogance that leads to death." She surged forward, her arms were held above for an overhanded strike.

Kimimaro smiled. An opening. He would block her blade, and then counter with their swords locked. The Sound ninja's arms raised. His bones formed an 'X'.

Saber's invisible sword descended, and the impossible happened. The last of the Kaguya clan's bones cracked under the impact. He'd made them denser than steel. They could survive any attack. Cut any material. Yet against the sword in the woman's hand, they splintered and gave way.

Kimimaro barely jumped back in time. The woman's blade cut a deep groove in the bone armor under his skin. She'd won that exchange, but he now knew what her reach was. His regular blades wouldn't suffice. He would have to fully utilize the curse mark to create bones dense enough to withstand her power.

The armored woman pressed her attack. Her strikes were nearly impossible to read. Not only because he couldn't see her weapon, but the girl's form was tight and focused. Her hands barely seemed to move at times. When she did put her body behind an attack, it came so quickly there was no chance to counter. All the Sound Ninja could do was dodge.

"Dance of the Clematis: Flower"

His transformation was complete. A bone-spear thicker than his arm encapsulated his left limb. He interposed it between another overhanded chop. Cracks appeared on it's surface, but it held. Kimimaro knew he had no chance of landing an attack with such an unwieldy weapon. But now that her single blade was immobilized, he could land a hit with another.

"Dance of the Clematis: Vine"

Kimimaro pulled out his spine with his right hand. The curse mark let him regrow it in an instant. The bone-whip lashed out. Saber tried to move away, but she couldn't escape his reach. The whip wrapped around her body. Her armor blocked the spiked protrusions. She held her hands above her head, keeping her arms free. Her strikes would still be hampered, her ability to dodge negated.

Kimimaro charged.

His lance thrust towards her chest. A burst of pure chakra expanded from the girl. It pushed away his whip. It slowed his thrust. It gave her enough space to dodge to the right. The Last of the Kaguya Clan's eyes widened. He was off-guard. Exposed. Saber had his flank, and there wasn't time to avoid her attack. A white-hot pain seared through his shoulder, and his bone-lance fell to the ground - along with his left arm.

There was no choice. This would attract attention, but it was his only move left. Kimimaro backflipped away, abandoning his whip. He landed and sunk his remaining limb into the ground.

"Dance of the Seedling Fern!"

The technique was dangerous. Not only to his opponent, and everyone else in the area, but to himself as well. The amount of chakra it drew was staggering. Kimimaro could only accomplish such a feat with the power Lord Orochimaru had given him. Saber would have nowhere to run. Her death was assured as bone spikes erupted from the earth. Kimimaro was also speared, but they were his bones. He could merge with them as easily as stepping in and out of a lake. While inside, he had limited senses. The sheer volume that his body now covered removed that flaw. Anything in his bone yard was noted.

Saber didn't move. She didn't try to jump away from the spikes the shot out at her. Instead her invisible sword shattered every bone that came within range. Wind blew the shards back. At the end of the technique, she stood in a clear ten foot diameter circle. Flakes of bone fell down around her like snow.

No!

Kimimaro would not allow it!

She would not best him! Not while he still drew breath!

His lungs ached. Even in the bone, he could feel his blood pooling within them. The shock of losing his arm combined with the effort of his ultimate jutsu left him feeling light-headed. He was past the point of no return. Once the cursed seal ran out of Orochimaru-sama's chakra, he would die. Nothing could stop that now. All that mattered was fulfilling Orochimaru's dream. Of getting him the body he so desired.

Kimimaro gathered his chakra for one final attack. Nothing would survive. The bone forest was his domain. Not only could he appear wherever he liked inside of it, the bones were still his weapons. The Sound ninja focused his chakra. It was time to unleash his final dance. The attack was quick and brutal. Thousands of bone spears erupted from all around the woman. From every side. From above. From below. There wasn't an inch left uncovered. She might deflect dozens with her sword. Her armor might block more. In the end, there would be no escape. It had cost Kimimaro his life, but he took the blonde woman with him.

Saber vanished. The spears flew through empty air. She hadn't moved quickly. She wasn't hiding. Kimimaro could no longer sense her in his bone forest. She was simply gone. The Last of the Kaguya clan emerged. Outside of his bones, he could sense her miles away - where Orochimaru's desired body had been. She could teleport. Kimibaro coughed blood. He had failed. His life had only bought his allies scant minutes. The curse-mark receded. Without its power, the Sound ninja's body succumbed to its wounds in seconds.

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"Trace On. Hiramekarei!"

Shirou shouted the name of the chakra sword. Its bandaged form appeared on his back. Its cool and clean energy was now his to shape. The masked ninja darted backwards, forming a wall with Hiramekarei's chakra behind him. It was thin. The blue energy was spread out to form a half dome against the giant tree. It shielded both him and his sister.

"Haku! Haku, wake up!" Shirou knelt down and shook her as the barrage of kunai bounced off the protective field. She didn't respond. If she was in a genjutsu, there wasn't much he could do. At most, he could inject his chakra into her body. It was the technique he used to analyze things. It was too weak. They had practiced in the past. Shirou's energy just wasn't strong enough to flush out another's. Especially since he knew nothing about genjutsu and where the chakra needed to go.

The sound of more kunai being thrown came from behind him. Hiramekarei's chakra warded them off. Shirou stood. He was unimportant, but Haku wasn't. She was the most important person in the world to him. There was no way he'd fail to protect her. His butterfly swords were left on the ground as he stood. The masked ninja expanded his bow as he turned around - three arrows already notched in it. The foliage hid his opponents, but he remembered where the kunai had been launched from. Those were the places to ignore.

Shirou's reinforced eyes saw flashes of gold. There! His arms blurred as he began shooting arrow after arrow. While his sword's chakra had blocked the golden projectiles, it let his through. A blue aura engulfed each arrow as they shot past. Hiramekarei's chakra coated them, propelling them forward with more force. One by one, they flew into the woods and exploded. Shirou paused, his ears and eyes straining. Did his attack work?

A whistling sound came from deep in the underbrush. A golden arrow. It was the same as the Kunai. A weapon forged from a jutsu. Far deadlier than a normal arrow. There wasn't time to deflect it. Shirou wasn't confident enough in judging its speed to attempt it. He also didn't trust in the chakra cloak to block it. Instead, he moved between the deadly attack and Haku. He dropped his bow and retrieved both his swords. The weapons were raised in an 'X', perfectly aligned with the projectile's path. The arrow was slowed by Hiramekarei's chakra, but it still struck with enough force to dent his blades.

Shirou looked down in amazement. He'd strengthened his swords, and they still took damage. What kind of bow was the sniper using?

"Hax!" His reinforced hearing picked up the same voice from before. "He has some kind of cheat code!"

"Now can I join in?"

"Stow it Jirobo! I told you he's mine! I just need to add some spin."

The sound of another arrow warned of the next shot. It worried Shirou. The whistling had an odd wobbling to it, and it was much higher-pitched.

The arrow came into sight. It was spiraling through the air. The arrowhead was a drill. His butterfly swords wouldn't be enough. Shirou needed something stronger, denser. A sword that was more durable than even Kubikiribocho. The arrow pierced the chakra field without losing speed. It was aimed at Haku's chest. Shirou summoned a sword, and drove it into the ground between them.

Chikyuukou. The Mole Sword.

He hadn't summoned it before. Its size was the same as Kubikiribocho. If Shirou was going to use a two-handed blade, he preferred Zabuza's. Chikyuukou's natural reinforcement meant it could become more durable than anything else. Shirou poured both his and Hiramekarei's chakra into it.

The arrow struck. It hung in mid-air as it drilled against the hardened steel. There was a horrible shriek, then the arrow splintered. Chikyuukou was left spotless.

"What the HELL?!" Shirou didn't need sensitive hearing to make out the shout. "That's utter crap! What kind of sword is that? Nothing should be able to stop my shot!" In a whisper, the voice continued. "Guess I'll just have to go around."

"Kidomaru, do you think that will really work? We don't have time for this."

"Fine. Whatever. Use your ground hacks, you tub of lard."

"That was uncalled for."

Shirou raised the blade. It was too heavy now to swing effectively. His golden eyes scanned the surroundings. Where would the next attack come from. There was a slight rumble behind him. He spun around. The dirt that Haku was sitting on was moving. It had started creeping up her defenseless body! Shirou dropped Chikyuukou, and pulled out a kunai. The sword sunk into the ground where it landed. He began to stab and dig at the soil that engulfed his sister. For every clot he tore away, two more covered Haku.

He just wasn't fast enough. There had to be a sword he could summon for this...

A familiar, high-pitched wobble sounded from behind. Shirou turned. Another golden arrow was coming towards them. There wasn't enough time to get to Chikyuukou, much less interpose it in front of the projectile. Even if there was, the dirt would engulf Haku. There was nothing he could do.

Shirou froze.

He was about to lose his sister. Haku. The person most important to him in the world. The girl who'd saved him. Who'd given him purpose.

No!

He couldn't save her, but Saber could. His Servant could rescue her. Get his sister to safety!

"Saber! I command you! Return, and take Haku back to the Village!"

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Saber tensed. The bones around her creaked ominously. The white-haired ninja was preparing his next attack. Her opponent was talented and strong. She hadn't thought a human would be able to keep pace with her so much. While she had been in control the whole fight, this bone forest was surprising. His magic was uniquely suited to fight her. The bones he created weren't magical themselves, so her resistance didn't help. All Saber could rely on was her skill.

A swarm of bone projectiles were launched from all sides. Spears fell down from above. More bone trees sprouted from below. Saber had already used up too much of her wind-sheath blowing away fragments. It had given her an oasis, but anymore and Excalibur would be revealed. Still, it looked like releasing the last of the wind that hid her sword was the only move she had available. There was no other way to dodge.

"Saber! I command you! Return, and take Haku back to the Village!"

Shirou had used a Command Seal. She could feel its power coursing through her. Abandoning a battlefield wasn't something she would do normally. She'd resist such a command. Saving an ally was something else. As a knight it was her duty. If Shirou had just given her that order normally, Saber would have hesitated. Weighed the options. Her Master had used a Command Seal. It drove her. Controlled her. Bent the fabric of space so she could obey.

The world folded, and Saber stood in front of Shirou. He knelt by his sister, kunai in hand. He desperately tried to free her from an earthen prison, while an arrow closed in on both of them. Her Master's eyes shown with tears as he looked up. The thoughts in the back of Saber head about not leaving him vanished. She had to save Haku.

A flick of her wrist parried the golden arrow, sending it deep into the ground. Saber dismissed Excalibur and kneeled next to the unconscious girl. The soil that threatened to engulf her fell away at the Servants touch. Whatever magic controlled it could not effect her. She cradled Haku in her arms. With a glance over her shoulder at her Master, Saber retreated.

Shirou's face twisted. From fear to relief to anger. Saber didn't know what he would do next.

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Shirou watched Saber leave. She'd done it. She'd saved Haku.

The people that had tried to kill her were still out there. Right in the forest. Within his grasp.

Another spinning golden arrow flew at him. Shirou noted that this one was aimed at his arm. They wanted to kill Haku, but only wound him!

He would slaughter them all.

"Trace On." Another copy of Hiramekarei was summoned to his right hand. "I am the bone of my sword." A duplicate appeared in his left. His insides shrieked. Three of the chakra sword at the same time was well past his limits.

Shirou didn't care.

Mangetsu's chakra flared around him. He could see so clearly now. The archer was a monstrous looking creature with six arms and a golden bow. A demon. An oni. Blue chakra took the shape of a hand. It casually swatted the golden projectile out of the air as Shirou charged. Almost as an afterthought, the chakra arm grabbed Shibuki on his way past.

The archer was nearly invisible. Only the tiniest part of him could be seen through the trees. He had cover. He had range. No doubt he thought he could run away. Shirou wouldn't let him. His chakra cloaked form drove straight ahead. Trees splintered and gave way. The oni's eyes widened. Shirou smiled.

The spider demon tried to jump back. Shirou thrust out with his left arm. A sword of pure chakra formed. It moved too fast for the six-armed ninja to dodge. Too fast to dodge, but not too fast to react to. Instead of being impaled, that same golden substance emerged from the demon's chest. It stopped Shirou's sword.

The masked ninja narrowed his eyes. The sword became a claw, gripping his prey. More golden armor appeared.

"Steel is my body."

Shirou needed a stronger attack. He brought Shibuki around. Explosive notes wouldn't be enough. He had to alter the blade. Condense its power into a single strike. Reforge it to bring out its full potential. The scroll-sword transformed in his chakra hand. Its blade flowed and morphed. The explosive power it had contained was released and given form. The hilt elongated. The blade reformed into a glowing white axe-head. Thousands of explosive note's power was contained within it. Shirou whipped the axe around. Where it impacted, the spider demon was disintegrated.

Not a speck remained.

The attack disrupted the delicate balance in the blade.

Shirou's eyes widened. Shibuki was about to detonate. He couldn't stop it, all he could try to do was contain it. He focused all the chakra the three Hiramekareis had towards the axe. Shirou formed a sphere around it and his enemy. The redhead grimaced. He had to make the chakra tighter and denser.

The axe exploded.

Shirou was flung though the air. His body landed more than a mile away. Tree branches cracked and splintered. They slowed his descent while tearing his clothing and scratching his body. He was unconscious before he hit the ground. His attempt at containing the explosion hadn't been entirely unsuccessful. He still lived, but the crater it made was three times the size of the one they'd been practicing next to.

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An explosion rung out behind Saber. She turned to look. The shock-wave rippled out from the battlefield. What on Earth had happened? She couldn't investigate. She still had to return Haku to the Village. She sprinted the remaining miles. She would know if her Master died. Shirou was still alive. She didn't know how long that would be the case.

Half-way back, Haku stirred. "Saber?" The one-armed ninja blinked. "What's going on?"

"We were attacked." Saber kept her voice calm. Hysteria wouldn't help anything. "I am taking you back to the Village."

"What?" Haku twisted in her arms. "Where's Shirou?"

"He's alive and still fighting." Saber hoped the second part of that was true.

"Then we have to go back!" The female ninja struggled, but to no avail.

"I'm sorry, but I've been given a command. I have to take you back to the Hidden Leaf." Saber stared straight ahead. She couldn't look at the teenager.

"No!" Haku swung awkwardly. "I can't leave Shirou behind. He's your Master! Aren't you supposed to protect him."

"Yes, but his command trumps that."

"What?!"

"I'm sorry, but I have no say in this." Saber met Haku's eyes. "And neither do you."

"We'll see about that." Haku's voice was cold. Ice began to form in the air around them. The ground froze. A mirror blocked Saber's path.

Saber stopped. "The more you delay us, the longer it will take me to return."

Haku twisted out of her arms. She stood facing the Servant. "Then let's return right now!"

"I said that's not an option." Saber blurred behind the ninja and delivered a quick chop to the neck. "I'm sorry Haku." As the one-armed girl crumpled, Saber gently caught her. "I don't disagree with your reasoning, but this is beyond my control."

The blonde girl raced back to the main gate. Two chunin were standing guard, but no one else was around. Saber knelt down and lay Haku next to the desk.

"What's going on?" The ninja with the senbon in his mouth leaned forward over the desk. He looked down at Haku's unconscious form.

"We were attacked while training at the ravine five kilometers to the North-East."

"We?"

Saber nodded at the prone girl. "Haku Yuki, Shirou Uzumaki, and I." She turned to leave, but looked over her shoulder. "Shirou is still fighting. I will return to his side." And then Saber was gone.

While carrying Haku, she couldn't utilize her full speed. A human body, even one as well trained as Haku, simply couldn't withstand that force. On her own, Saber made it back in a fraction of the time. The sight that greeted her wasn't promising. The ravine they'd been training next to was now part of a bigger crater. The dust had yet to fully settle. Even the bone forest that had been made in her fight wasn't standing. There was no sign of anyone around.

Saber began darting back and forth, looking for any sign of Shirou. Her Master still had to be alive. Their connection remained, and his energy and presence still supported her existence. An hour passed, and all the Servant could find was a twisted piece of metal she recognized as one of Shirou's swords. Saber stood up from where she was kneeling and inspecting the former blade. People were approaching. She slowly moved towards the sound, not knowing what to expect.

There were three humans and one canine. Saber recognized Haku and Inoichi, but the woman with them was unknown to her. The female ninja's brown spiky hair was like a wild mane. Her eyes had vertical slit-like pupils, and below them were red markings. The dog to her side was missing it's left ear, and wore a patch covering it's right eye.

"Haku. Inoichi." Saber nodded at the two people she knew.

"Saber." Haku's voice was cold.

"Was there any sign of Shirou, Saber?" Inoichi's eyes narrowed as he scanned the destruction around them.

"I found one of his swords, but he had already discarded it the last time I saw him." Saber walked forward and tossed the piece of metal on the ground. "I've searched several miles out, but didn't find anyone."

The jonin nodded. "Who did this."

"None of the ninja I encountered wore a head guard."

Inoichi put his hand on his genin's shoulder. "Don't worry Haku. You did the right thing in finding me first. Tsume is one of the best trackers in the village. If anyone can find Shirou, she can."

The feral-looking woman sniffed the air. "There are at least seven scents. It's hard to make out over dragon-woman here, but one is all over the place." She gave a wicked grin. "When that happens and there's an explosion, it means the poor bastard was at dead-center.

Haku stiffened.

Tsume continued. "Don't worry. The scent is different from the main one on the sword. I don't think it was your brother that turned into a fine mist." She turned to look at her dog. "C'mon Kuromaru, let's get to work!" The black-furred beast growled in reply.

While the pair was busy, Saber related the details of the ambush and her fight to Inoichi and Haku. The Yamanaka head listened quietly, and waited for the Servant to finish before replying. "This is troubling. Shirou is talented, but he's just a genin. The enemy seemed to target him. He's relatively unknown, the only thing he's done of note in the Leaf is participate in the Chunin Exam." The blonde ninja shook his head. "And that was only the private part. He didn't even do much of note in the preliminaries."

"Orochimaru." Haku spoke up. "Shirou encountered him in the forest. He removed his seal." She gestured with her hand. "Saber drove him off. If there's anyone who would have a grudge, it would be him."

Inoichi stroked his chin. "You may be right. I don't know what one of the Sannin would want with Shirou, but Orochimaru was exiled from the Leaf for his... experiments."

The word hung in the air. Saber could only imagine what it implied for her Master's well-being.

As the silence stretched on, Tsume returned. "I couldn't find a trail. The explosion muddled everything up. As far as I can tell, two people moved or were moved after it happened. They're skilled. There was no trace of their scent or markings of their passage away from the crater."

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Hiruzen sat at his desk and read the latest report on the abduction of Shirou Uzumaki. The genin had been missing for two days, and the tracking teams hadn't found any new trails. The latest report was still the same. At least five attackers had ambushed Shirou, Haku, and Saber. The Servant had personally dispatched one of them, but disengaged to remove Haku from combat after that. The explosion that occurred afterwards had killed at least one more person, but Saber was adamant that Shirou survived.

It was likely she was correct. About a mile north of the battleground, the trackers picked up Shirou's scent. It was odd. His smell was all over that section of woods. Blood and taters of his clothing were found in the trees and strewn about the ground. Something had happened there, but there weren't many signs as to what. The soil was loosened, as if someone had used an Earth-jutsu in the area. Tree branches were snapped off and missing. Someone had put in some effort to clean up the area. Shirou had left the area, or been removed. There wasn't a scent trail. Unless the redhead was hiding his abilities, masking his scent was beyond him. That meant he'd been taken.

Sarutobi could only imagine the reason. Had the war Saber foretold started already? Did it have to do with his encounter with Orochimaru? Was his newfound relationship with the Grass genin involved? Was it something even more esoteric? Inoichi said he'd been practicing with his summoning. Calling forth weapons he'd never seen, that had never existed.

The Hokage shook his head. He'd been attacked by elite ninjas. Whatever the reason behind this, it wasn't because of a genin's research into jutsu. The war was the most likely cause.

There was a movement to the side. One of the concealed entrance ways. "Enter." Hiruzen grunted as he leaned back.

Danzo walked in. "I've been speaking with the elders."

"Do tell." Sarutobi replied dryly.

"Given the potential of Saber, they think it was a mistake to let Shirou Uzumaki go around without an escort."

"Hindsight makes geniuses of us all." The Hokage took out his pipe and began to pack tobacco into it. "There was no reason to think a genin would be targeted by an abduction team."

"No, but Saber is a volatile power. She should not have been given free-reign."

"Saber has not instigated any hostilities."

"No, but if she chose to, we would suffer greatly." Danzo's visible eye narrowed. "She is a threat to us, now that her Summoner has been taken. If Shirou is turned, then we have a being of immense strength within our walls. A being we cannot trust. She has been around for less than a week, and look what happens!"

"You think Saber's behind this?" Hiruzen's eyebrows arched.

"No." Danzo closed his eye. "Not this fiasco, but wouldn't it be wise to try and collar the Servant? Both for our safety and hers?"

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Haku paced back and forth. She had to find Shirou. Save him. She wasn't a tracker. Her sensory ability was adequate, but not suited for ferreting out signs of passage. Chakra and heat both dissipated far too quickly. "If only there was something we could use to find Shirou..."

Saber stood off to the side. She hadn't left Haku since their encounter with the other ninja. The Servant remained quiet and unobtrusive, but her presence was impossible to ignore. Even if her chakra wasn't so massive, she was the reason Shirou had been taken. Haku tried not to blame the woman. It wasn't her fault the other ninja had attacked. If anything, this fiasco was because of her being trapped in a genjutsu. If she'd been more aware, she could've helped her brother fight. Instead she just became a dead weight that Shirou had to protect.

"Don't worry." Saber said in a quiet voice. "Shirou is still alive."

"It's been three days!" Haku nearly shouted. "He could be anywhere by now! What use does taking him alive serve?"

"Shirou and I have a bond." The Servant's blue eyes bored into her. "If he was dead, then my presence would fade as well."

"Really?" Haku stopped. "That's not normal for a summons. They don't remain after their summoner is gone, but that's more a choice than a requirement."

Saber continued impassively. "I've told you, I'm a Servant, not a summons. This is one of the key differences. Shirou not only provides me chakra, but his presence ties me to this world. With him gone, I would soon follow."

Haku blinked. "You'd die?"

Saber shook her head. "No, but my energy would drain rapidly. Without Shirou or the Grail supporting my presence, I would have no way to replenish my internal reserves. I do not know how long I would last, but I am not the right class to take Independent Action."

"I see." Haku bowed her head. "So Shirou's sending you chakra right now?"

"It is not much, barely a trickle." Saber closed her eyes and turned her face towards the sky. "I have been sleeping and eating to make up the difference, but my reserves are still slowly depleting. Shirou has not focused on sending me chakra since the fight."

"The mediation that Karin helped him figure out?"

Saber turned her head to look at Haku and nodded. "Yes."

The one-armed kunoichi's eyes widened and she snapped her fingers. "That's it!"

"What is?"

"Karin!" Haku took off towards the outskirts of the village. "She was able to see the chakra that joins you and Shirou! With her help, we can follow it back to him! I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!"

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Shirou groaned as he opened his eyes. The world was bright and blurry. The redhead blinked as he moved his head side to side. He wasn't lying on the ground. Shirou still couldn't make out where he was, but he was mostly vertical. He tried to get up, but a strap on his chest held him down. His arms and legs were similarly spread apart, and held in place.

"Ah!" A smooth voice whispered from across the room. "Up so soon?" A hand moved his head back while holding open his eyelid with a finger. A brighter light flickered back and forth across his vision. "Already responding to visual stimuli, how wonderful! You should be in a coma right now. With your chakra suppressed and the tranquilizers I've given you, I'm frankly amazed that you're already regaining consciousness!"

The hand let go of his head. Shirou looked at the direction of the voice. The brightness was fading, and he could now make out a human-sized blur. "What's going on? Where am I? What happened to Haku?"

"So full of questions." The blur gave out a slight chuckle. "I will be happy to answer all of them. Getting to know you better can only benefit me." The man moved away, and Shirou heard some clinking of glass. "The answers are: I've kidnapped you. My lair. And, I don't know. Feel better?"

Shirou laid his head back and groaned. "Not really. My head is killing me, and I don't understand what's going on."

"Perhaps I should explain it to you in more detail then." The voice approached and Shirou felt a needle pierce his arm. "I expended quite a bit of resources in obtaining you, and I must say - it seems worth the cost. While my initial interest in you was purely revenge, things have changed. You see, you're going to be my next body. In fact, you might just be my final body!" Another chuckle followed.

Shirou blinked. The world was coming into focus. The stared his captor in the face. "You... You're Orochimaru!" It was the same ninja he'd encountered in the Forest of Death.

"I am indeed." The Snake Sannin smiled. He wore white clothes with long, loose sleeves that covered his hands.

"What do you mean I'm going to be your body?"

"Well..." Orochimaru leaned forward, his long hair fell across Shirou's chest. "I had gone to the exams to find myself a new host. I was looking at the Uchiha kid. The Sharingan is a marvelous bloodline. The pinnacle, or so I thought. Learning every jutsu I can is tempting, but you seem to be even more valuable!" The Snake Sannin's face drew closer to Shirou's. "You see, I had this great plan. I was going to show my former teacher how powerless he was, and what a mistake he'd made. At the same time, I'd secure my ultimate host, and destroy the Hidden Leaf. The Sand ninja were going to help me. Everything was prepared, but you ruined my alliance and my Cursed Seal." Orochimaru paused. "Of course, I despised you for it. Some Uzumaki with a flare for seals and bad timing. You were trash that deserved a horrible death... Or so I thought." The older ninja grinned. "Diamonds are found in the rough. If you hadn't interfered, then your blood line might have gone unnoticed, and I'd have settled for Sasuke."

"Sasuke? That's why you marked him?"

"Indeed." The missing nin ran his hand over Shirou's forearm. He peered at where the needle had injected something. "If a body isn't compatible with my chakra, then it won't make a good host. The Cursed Seal tests that normally." The Sanin chuckled. "I'm not foolish enough to put one on you." The older ninja snickered. "Is your mastery of seals a bloodline ability too? That would be wonderful!"

Shirou glared at him. "If you haven't put a seal on me, how do you know if my body's compatible?"

"Well..." Orochimaru stood up. "Strictly speaking I don't yet. I can say your resistance is phenomenal. You seem to have built up an immunity to all my sedatives and poisons!" The Sannin shook his head. "If you knew how many kinds I had, you'd realize what a feat that is. The enzyme also doesn't effect you. Even if your body rejects my chakra, I'm confident it will withstand it."

"You tried to poison me?" Shirou blinked. "Isn't that counter-productive after capturing me?"

"Normally, yes." Orochimaru grinned. "But you were becoming increasingly resistant and immune to the sedatives. I already had to give you lethal doses to keep you under." The jonin chuckled. "Resistance to some should have been chemically impossible! So I turned to more... effective concoctions."

"So why am I still here? If I'm resistance to your poisons, and you want to posses me, then why haven't you done so already?"

"So eager to become my new host?" Orochimaru smiled. "Or are you just confident in your ability to resist? Either way, I'm not going to try until I have all the details I can muster first."

"Is that so?" Shirou closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Trace On."

Nothing happened.

"Didn't I tell you that your chakra is suppressed?" Orochimaru motioned at the floor. "I didn't put a seal on you, but there are more than one way to get around that little issue." Large circles of kanji covered the ground. Shirou's table was in the center of them all. "Besides, the process might destroy you. I'd prefer to learn about your... unique jutsu before that." The Snake Sannin chuckled again. "Just in case they aren't part of your genetic abilities. If the transfer doesn't go smoothly, I may have to settle for just your body and not your mind."

Shirou looked back and forth. He couldn't summon his chakra. He was bound tightly. An insane S-Ranked ninja was going to inhabit his body. He did have one trump card to play. "Saber! I command you to... Arghhhh!" He cried out in pain. The seal on his left hand stopped glowing as the appendage fell to the ground. Orochimaru had his mouth opened wide with the blade of a sword sticking out. Kusanagi. Even with his chakra sealed, Shirou stilled grasped the blade. Its power rivaled the Seven Swords of the Mist. The blade withdrew back into the Sannin's gut.

"I've also been studying that summoning seal on your arm. It's most impressive." Orochimaru walked over and picked up Shirou's severed hand. "Now we're even." The missing nin flipped back his sleeve to show his amputated limb. "I wonder if you can regrow yours. That would be convenient since this makes the second body I've had to abandon because of losing a hand. Oh well, it's nothing some surgery can't fix. If it comes to that." He shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to continue examining it apart from you." He placed bloody appendage on a table in the corner of the room. "First, I think I'll need to apply a tourniquet. Though I am curious as to if you can bleed out..." The Sannin shrugged. "Eh, better not to risk it I suppose. You've now put me on a time limit. So I mustn't indulge myself."

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Haku, Saber, Karin, Inoichi, Anko, Tsume, and two Anbu moved through the forest. With Karin leading them, they made good time. Their path wobbled a bit, as the Grass genin couldn't pinpoint the direction of the chakra too precisely. The trail led to the East. They were nearly to the border of the Land of Fire. The continent was running out of space. Soon they'd find Shirou.

Karin let out a gasp. "It's gone!"

Haku spun around. "What is?"

The redheaded girl looked up. "The chakra that Shirou was sending Saber. It stopped!"

"What?!" An exclamation was muttered by everyone attending.

Saber staggered, and fell to one knee. "Yes... The link has been severed. I... I don't know what it means for Shirou. I..."

The Servant collapsed.


	12. The Chunin Exams 7

Haku looked at the fallen Servant, but her thoughts were focused on Shirou. "The link has been severed... does that mean?"

"It means we don't have time to waste." Inoichi knelt by Saber's side. He put his fingers to her throat. "Her pulse is rapid, and her breathing shallow and light. I can't say how much of a difference there is from her normal physiology, but it looks like she's going into shock."

One of the Anbu stepped forward. "We'll take her back to the village."

The jonin nodded. "Ok. Karin, you go with them."

The redhead swallowed. Her hands were trembling. "No!" She immediately looked down and away from the blonde ninja. "I-I mean, I can still help! I might not be useful in combat, but I can still sense people or heal somebody's wounds..."

Inoichi shook his head. "You've already done far more than enough. You're still a genin of the Hidden Grass." The Yamanaka head smiled. "If we took you any further, the mission would be upgraded from a C-Rank. We can't in good conscious put you in that kind of risk."

"But!" Karin clenched her hands, then relaxed them. "I... I understand. Arguing here will just delay his rescue."

One of the Anbu went to pick up Saber, while the other knelt in front of Karin. "Get on, we're going to be going faster than you can handle."

"O-Ok." Karin put her hands on the Anbu's shoulders, and then wrapped her legs around his waist.

The two ninja and their passengers took off, leaving just Inoichi, Anko, Tsume, and Haku. The Yamanaka Head addressed the remainder of the search party. "We've been going in a straight line more or less, so we have a good idea where we're headed. The flow of chakra to Shirou hasn't moved, so it's likely he's being held somewhere stationary. The border to the Land of Sound is only a few miles away, so we have to move quickly while avoiding detection." He nodded at the Inuzuka and her dog. "Tsume will take lead."

To the side Anko stretched. "I can't believe that snake-loving bastard was this close the whole time!" Her lips twisted upwards. "Without that curse-mark on me I'll show him!"

Inoichi held up a hand. "Stay level-headed Anko. We're not even sure if Orochimaru is behind this. Remember, this is a rescue mission. Confronting one of the Sannin is only a move of last resort." He looked over his shoulder. "Especially now that Saber's no longer with us.

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Shirou's left arm ached where his hand had been chopped off. Through clenched teeth he mumbled. "What do you mean time limit?"

"What was that?" Orochimaru looked over his shoulder. "Do speak up."

"I said." Shirou closed his eyes and willed away the pain. It mostly worked. "What do you mean by being on a time limit?"

The Snake ninja chuckled. "Oh, you don't think I'm going to let you contact that summons of yours and not relocate?" He shook his head. "I've deciphered enough of seal to know that it can send information. To what ends I'm not certain. I'm sure if I hadn't interrupted your little jail break there, you would've summoned your swordswoman again." The older ninja smiled. "Even if she wasn't summoned, she might have gotten enough of a bearing from the call to come here on foot. So we're leaving. Better safe than sorry after all." A slender, long finger tapped against the Sannin's lips. "I am surprised you were able to do anything with a summoning tattoo without using any blood. Another perk of being an Uzumaki? A special seal? Your own unique blood-line?" He shrugged. "It doesn't matter at the moment, but I will confess to being intrigued." The jonin paused. "If it had worked that is. The seal surrounding you is one of my most powerful, so I have my doubts."

Orochimaru moved back to Shirou's left side with a roll of linen bandages. He undid the wrist-level leather strap and peered at the stump. "Yes, the bleeding is remarkably reduced! I'll still bandage it, but I don't think that's even necessary!" He quickly began to wrap the strips of cloth. "Tell me, do you think it'd grow back?"

Shirou winced. He could still feel the pain in his hand, even though it wasn't there any more. "I don't know. I can still feel my hand. It hurts."

"That's normal in losing a limb. Phantom pain syndrome. Your body still expects it to be there, and makes up sensations."

"Oh." Shirou blinked. Had Haku been going through the same thing all this time.

"There." Orochimaru moved his head left and right, looking at his handiwork. "That should do it." He lowered Shirou's arm back against the metal table, and secured it in place with the strap. "If there's time, I'll have someone sterilize the room. We'll remove all trace of your scent." The jonin walked over to the desk and began gathering papers from on top and inside. "First things first. The research notes are most important." He looked over his shoulder. "Well, you're the most important, but transporting you will take some precautions. Can't risk you performing any more jutsu can we?"

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Karin rode on the back of one of the Anbu. She kept glancing over her shoulder. Even though she could no longer see the other ninja, she still felt their chakra moving away. "Do you think they'll make it in time?"

It took several seconds for the Anbu to reply. "We don't know the details for making an accurate estimation. If the link between Shirou Uzumaki and Saber has been severed, it is most likely because of the former's death. If the mission has already failed, it is a waste of manpower to pursue it further."

"What?" Karin's head whipped back around. Both of her escort's chakra hadn't fluctuated in the slightest. "Don't you care about Shirou's well being?"

"He is a valuable resource to the Village." The other Anbu spoke up. "His loss weakens the Leaf and is unfortunate. Our priority now is to try and maintain Saber's allegiance."

"Her allegiance?"

"If we can gain her loyalty, her power will be a great asset to the Leaf. That was our main purpose in this mission. If she dies, then our mission has failed."

Karin remained silent. She didn't know who these two people were, but she made sure to memorize their chakra. It wasn't hard. Both of them had very distinctive signatures. One was like Inoichi's, but muted and dull. Emotionless. The other was the same way, but there was another presence within him. A second chakra that she could sense. It fed on the Anbu's energy, so the two were nearly identical. The mass inside him kept shifting. The thought of having something like that inside of her made the genin shudder.

Now that she had a better understanding of her escorts, Karin no longer felt safe. She fell silent, and didn't even speak up when she sensed another chakra source. Someone from the Leaf was trailing the search party.

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Shirou's hand itched. He could feel something moving under his skin. Orochimaru was busy gathering various documents and glass containers from around the lab. Some he would swallow, others were sealed in a scroll, but a few remained outside. Shirou gritted his teeth. Orochimaru had said that he didn't mind talking. That getting to know Shirou would only help him. The reverse of that was true as well. The more Shirou knew, the better he could react. "Why aren't you sealing everything?"

The Sannin didn't look up. "Sealing can have adverse effects on living tissue, and biologic samples." The older ninja continued with his work. "The effect isn't easily noticeable, and only occurs at the cellular level, but it can raise complications down the line."

"If you're in such a hurry, why not call some of your subordinates down here to help you?" The itching intensified. Something stretched inside his mangled arm and drew the bandages taut.

"And have some unqualified person around you?" Orochimaru chuckled. "My men are trained well, but I have few that I would trust with so valuable a prize. Really only one, and he's performing a useful job for me right now and isn't available." The Sannin shook his head. "Still, I suppose I should inform my subordinates about our imminent departure. They can handle the rest of the base's more valuable resources on their own." The black-haired ninja smiled as he walked out the room. "Don't go anywhere while I'm gone." The heavy steel door slammed shut behind him. A dull thud followed, as a locking mechanism was engaged.

Shirou stared at the door for several seconds before turning his attention to his left arm. Something was peeking up through the linen. It was sharp and metallic... A Sword! The redhead was surprised at this aspect of his bloodline, but it had come at an opportune moment. The straps holding him down didn't allow for much wiggle room. He managed to contort his arm to bring the edge of the emerging blade to the strap along his wrist. The metallic protrusion was sharp, and it didn't take much effort to saw a wedge into the leather binding.

Shirou didn't have a good enough angle to completely cut his way out. With the strap weakened, he turned his efforts to bursting his bonds with sheer strength. He strained against the table. He could feel the leather slowly tearing along the cut he'd made. A few more seconds... and... There!

His left arm pulled free. He moved to cut the rest of his shackles, but another strap on his bicep limited his reach. His arm could reach the leather strip around his chest, but that was about it. The emerging sword cut through it with ease, but Shirou was still held fast to the table.

The redhead closed his eyes and exhaled. This was going to hurt.

He brought his stump to his mouth, and bit down on the blade protruding from his arm. It cut his tongue and a sharp, coppery tang filled his mouth. Shirou tensed and pulled. The pain was excruciating. Inch by inch, he teased the growing sword from his arm until at last it came free with a wet pop.

The bandages turned bright red, as blood flowed from where the weapon had been removed.

Shirou didn't care. His mouth was cut some more as he repositioned the metallic shard. Once he got it turned around, he leaned to his left and began sawing at the strap around his bicep. Soon his left arm was free. More small blades were starting to peek through the wrappings. With the extra mobility that granted him, Shirou started on the bonds holding his right arm. When those were done with, he transferred his grown weapon into his good hand and started work on freeing his legs.

The redhead didn't know how much time had passed, as he staggered off the metallic slab. Orochimaru could come back at any second. A quick glance around the room brought something to his attention. His severed left hand was still on the table. The Sannin hadn't moved it yet. Shirou went to his missing appendage. He cut away the bandages from his left arm, and put his bloody sword down. The redhead then picked up his hand. The Command Seals were still etched on the back, though a third of the stylized sword looked faded and smudged.

Calling Saber to save Haku had cost him one of his three absolute orders. Shirou didn't regret it in the slightest. More blades seemed to be sprouting from his stump.

Shirou clenched his jaw, and prayed that this would work. He forced his removed hand onto the emerging swords and pressed it down. It slid down until it touched his wrist. The itching sensation grew stronger, and pain began to flood through his reattached appendage.

Shirou panted. He held his left hand on with his right. His fingers began to twitch. He slowly opened and closed his hand. It wouldn't bend at the wrist yet, but he had done it!

Shirou closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The Sword Ninja opened them and held his left-hand up.

"Saber. With this Command Seal, I order you: Come forth!"

The space in front of him twisted, leaving Saber kneeling on the ground. His Servant looked pale, and she staggered as she rose to her feet. "Master Shirou, by your command I have returned to your side." There was sweat along the blonde woman's brow, but she stood at attention. Straight and rigid, she already was excluding a regal air.

"I don't know where we are." Shirou motioned to his left hand. "I can't wield a weapon with my left arm, and we're in a hidden base of Orochimaru's." He took a deep breath. "Let's go home."

Saber nodded. "Understood." She then paused. "What happened with your left hand? It seems wounded, and our connection disappeared for a time."

Shirou rubbed his wrist. "Orochimaru cut it off when I tried to summon you the first time." He held the injured appendage up. The skin had knit itself back together, but a thin scar was still visible. "Apparently I have regenerative powers."

Saber leaned forward and studied his hand. "No, I do not think so..." She closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them to stare at Shirou's face. "If I'm correct, that power does not originate from you." She brought a hand to her chin. "Yes... That would explain how I was summoned to a world that I never existed in. The only question is how THAT arrived here..." The Servant shook her head. "It is of no matter. Our first concern now is escape."

She turned and took a step towards the door. The table Shirou was at was located in the corner of the room, and as Saber left it, she crossed over the seal on the floor. It started glowing, and the Servant paused. She frowned and seemed to struggle as she continued. With each step, the kanji's glow intensified. Half-way across, the circle started smoking and sparks leapt off the floor. There was a cracking sound and the room shuddered. The stone on which Orochimaru's seal and been written shattered.

Saber jerked forward before catching herself. The Servant looked over her shoulder. "We need to be wary of traps, Shirou." She then continued to the door, and blew it open with a punch.

"Right." The redhead nodded. "Trace On." He summoned one of his butterfly swords to his right hand. Shirou's insides ached. Even that relatively minor summoning took everything he had. "I think I must have overdone it at the end of the last fight."

Saber turned and regarded him. "If the destruction that was left behind was any indication, then I would have to agree." She shook her head. "I won't try and tell you not to fight, but keep your current condition in mind. Let me handle any opposition we encounter."

Shirou nodded. "I understand. I'll follow your lead Saber."

The Servant gave him a smile. "Good. Let's go!" She held her arms to the side. Shirou couldn't see it, but he knew she'd summoned her invisible blade.

The pair walked down the stone corridor. There were lots of branching hallways and side doors. Saber opened each before proceeding. She turned a corner and stopped. Shirou moved after her and peeked around the wall.

Orochimaru stood at the end of the hallway. "It seems I underestimated you." The Sannin's eyes narrowed. "I guess I'll have to do this the hard way and take care of you myself! Ha!" He gave a shout and held both his arms out in front of him. From his sleeves, dozens of snakes shot forward. Their mouths opened wide, and venom glistened on their fangs.

Before they got within reach of Saber, every last snake stopped. They closed their mouths and bowed their heads. The Servant smirked. "It's a mistake using reptiles against me."

Orochimaru growled, and the bodies of his snakes dropped out of his sleeves. "I see. Another trick of yours." A thin smile came to the jonin's lips. "This is my base, don't think I don't have contingencies also!" He slammed his right hand against the wall. Seals appeared along the floor, ceiling, and sides of the corridor. They glowed for a brief moment before exploding.

Saber had already moved. She turned and picked up Shirou and shielded him from the pressure wave. As the dust cleared, she stood up. "From the layout so far, that was the most direct way out, but probably not the only one." She nodded at her Master. "Let's go Shirou."

The redhead looked behind him as they moved away. "Couldn't you break through?"

"I do have an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm I can use." Saber paused for a second. "If you want me to, I'll use it without complaint. However, I think it is unwise. My energy levels are low at the moment, and it's not a good idea to destroy a fortress that you, yourself currently occupy."

"I see."

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Haku sprinted through the treetops. Stealth had been abandoned for speed. They all could sense Saber's chakra now. It was a maelstrom. Strong enough to feel from miles away. It made the kunochi shudder. Unlike Saber's normal, calm chakra. In her current state, the Servant's energy gave off a promise of righteous retribution. It seemed foolhardy to willingly move towards such a power, but none of her companions faltered.

A melody echoed through the woods. Haku half-remembered it from her sleep. It was the same music that had put her under a genjutsu before. "Everyone wait!" She stopped short, as did her teammates. "That sound, it's what put me in a genjutsu before. We need to be careful."

Inoichi nodded. "That's a dangerous technique. It has a long reach. If you stop concentrating on it, the genjutsu will take over. It's as if its constantly being re-applied."

"So what do we do?" Tsume growled from the ground next to her dog. The feral woman had a kunai in each hand. One dug into her own thigh, the other stabbed against her companion's fur. To the side, Anko grasped the fang around her neck. A few drops of blood slipped between her fingers.

"Haku and I will confront the user." The blonde jonin nodded towards the direction of the sound. "You two go on ahead, we'll catch up."

"Are you sure?" Anko looked between the two of them. "Wouldn't it be better to just press on through it?"

Inoichi shook his head. "That would let the genjutsu user come up behind us. Perhaps surprising us at an inopportune time. No, it's best to eliminate this threat right away." He motioned at Haku. "We'll be able to resist it long enough to stop our opponent."

Haku narrowed her eyes. This time her concentration wasn't split. She'd get her revenge. The Ice ninja wanted to hurry towards Saber and her brother, but her teacher's plan made sense. The two of them were well suited for this task.

Anko turned, causing her trench coat to billow behind her. "Ok, but hurry up Senpai."

The blonde smirked. "Since when do I rush things?"

The purple-haired kunochi gave a grunt, and then she and Tsume darted off into the woods.

Inoichi motioned. "Let's go, Haku!"

"Right!"

The sound-based genjutsu was a useful technique. Even focusing on it, Haku found herself almost nodding off. There was a glaring flaw. Since Inoichi and her could resist the song, the two of them could easily track it back to its source. The pair leapt from branch to branch before they found their target. A girl in a tan tunic with black shorts and a thick purple rope around her waist was playing a flute. Her long, unkempt red hair was held down by a black hat with bandages at its sides. She stood in a clearing with the instrument on her lips and her eyes shut.

Inoichi motioned to the left, and Haku nodded. Their first priority was to stop her from playing. If Tsume or Anko had fallen victim, then ending the song would do the most good. Haku formed a mirror behind her and stepped into it. The song became nothing but noise, its effects couldn't reach her when she was merged with her ice. The masked ninja used the mirror as a shunshin base, and blurred through the woods. Another mirror formed in front of her, to arrest her momentum. As she flew, she tossed a brace of senbon at the Sound ninja.

"What?" The redheaded girl turned in surprise and cursed. Haku's needles pierced her, but her movement had caused them to go off-target. "You slime! Coming into our country!" Inoichi threw a kunai from behind her. The flute-wielding kunochi barely managed to avoid it. "Two of you? Two Leaf scum resisted my song!" Tatuya's hand clenched around her flute. "We'll see about that!"

Jagged, angular lines flowed across her body. Haku could sense her chakra swelling past jonin-level. The redhead put her flute back to her lips, and resumed her song. From her vantage point in the mirror, Haku wasn't effected, but she could see Inoichi stagger. The girl's transformation had boosted the strength of her genjutsu, and the Yamanaka was feeling its full brunt.

Haku blurred from her mirror, creating another for her to land into. She tossed more senbon, but her aim was off. As soon as she exited her haven, the song fell down on her. It was so much more soothing then before. The masked ninja just wanted to close her eyes and sleep... Then she was back in her mirror. Haku still felt groggy. She was shielded from the genjutsu, but not its after-effects.

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Anko raced alongside Tsume. The music was getting weaker. She could only barely make it out. The special jonin kept one hand clenched around her fang pendant. She focused on the pain, the only thing she was sure was real. Anko didn't think they'd been caught in the sound-based genjutsu, but that was the thing about illusions. The subtle ones didn't let you know you were trapped. Saber's chakra was getting closer, but her partner suddenly stopped short. "What is it?"

"There's someone ahead." Tsume raised her nose. "He's moving this way."

"Is that so?" Anko landed next to the Inuzuka. "We should give him a proper greeting." The purple-haired kunochi smirked.

"Yeah." Tsume flexed her claw-like fingers. "He was upwind, so we're almost on him already. Going around isn't an option."

As she spoke, a large figure emerged from the woods. He wore a tan tunic and black pants. Around his waist was a thick purple rope. His head was shaved leaving three tuffs of orange hair. One on the top, and two on the sides. "So some Leaf trash have come to our doorstep. Hah! I was getting hungry too!" Jirobo charged. His fist smashed the ground where Anko had been standing.

The trench coat wearing ninja leapt to the side. "Hidden Snake Strike!" The reptilian summons sprung from her sleeves. Her opponent's attack hadn't just been a punch. Where Jirobo's fist struck the ground, earthen spikes rose up. They formed a wall between him and each Leaf ninja. Anko's snakes struck it. They immediately went limp and vanished. There was something more to his technique than just standard Earth Release.

"Fang Over Fang!" Tsume's voice cried out from the far side of the clearing. Anko was already on the move, and rounded the side of the wall just in time to see the other kunochi's attack. Tsume and her dog flew through the air in a spiral. Their trajectory arced around the wall, before bending back. Jirobo was flanked. The Sound ninja raised his arms and blocked the technique. The impact sent him flying through the other stone wall he'd created. "Feh." The Inuzuka stood as the dust settled. "That wasn't very satisfying." Her silted eyes looked at Jirobo's prone body.

Anko moved next to her. "He didn't get torn to pieces, I'd call that impressive." The dango-loving ninja smirked. "So he's not complete trash. I'll give him a D minus."

"What's trash like you doing calling me trash?" Jirobo form shifted and he clamored to his feet.

"Oh you still want more?" Tsume flashed him a savage smile.

"Yeah..." Jirobo drew himself up to his full height. Chains of triangles moved across his skin. "I want to eat both of you together!"

Anko's eyes narrowed. "He has a curse-mark, and he's freely using it." She spat to the side. "Watch out. It'll boost his strength, even as it consumes his mind."

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Saber walked in front of Shirou. She kept her Master close. He was obviously on his last legs. Whatever had happened to him over these last three days must have taken its toll. The pair walked down the corridor. Saber had a pretty good impression of the hideout. Orochimaru had blocked a Westward leading passage, so that probably meant the exit was in that direction. Unfortunately, the route they were now taking was designed like a labyrinth.

The passages turned back on themselves. Twisting around, but never intercepting. Some rose higher, some descended downwards. The architecture tried to make them think they were going in circles. The Servant took another step, and there was an faint click. Saber leapt backwards, her arm around Shirou. Darts flew from the side, as spears jutted up from the floor. "Only physical traps this time."

Shirou nodded. "Just how many does he have?"

"I do not know, but they are well-hidden." Saber looked left and right, making sure the current mechanism was expended. "Since we are often forced to back-track, it might be a good thing that we are setting them off. It at least gives us a route to fallback that is safe."

"Yeah."

After a few more seconds of waiting, Saber started walking again. The mechanical traps were one thing, the mystical ones were much more dangerous. Case in point. A fireball materialized in the air as they reached an intersection. The flames rushed down the hall in front of them, leaving no place to dodge. Saber interposed herself between them and Shirou. A bubble flickered around her, and the fire died down. None of the traps had been capable of bypassing her magical resistance.

The roar of the flames ceased, allowing her to make out a fainter sound. Wind. The Servant spun around, but she was too late. In moving ahead to shield Shirou, she'd left him in the intersection. Wind blew across perpendicular. It lifted Shirou off his feet, and sent him flying down the hall. Saber took a step back. As she did, the air pressure died down, its power shattering against her own.

Shirou was at the end of the hallway, and glowing sigils already adorned its sides.

"No!" Saber dashed forward. In her weakened state, she wasn't fast enough. She was caught in the blast. Her magic resistance protected her from the explosion, but not from the tunnel collapsing.

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Haku's head swam as the oni slammed against one of her mirrors. As if fighting the genjutsu wasn't enough, Tayuya had transformed into some kind of demon. She'd then summoned three giants to fight for her, all while playing that accursed flute. The Ice ninja just didn't have any techniques to take down such opponents. She'd trained to fight humans. She'd extensively studied anatomy, but her senbons were useless now. The monster's bodies were humanoid, but different enough that their chakra pathways and nerve bundles were altered. Not to mention their thick skin and huge size.

Her summons might be effectively immune to senbon, but the flute-playing ninja wasn't. Leaving her mirrors to get a cleaner shot exposed Haku to the music. The Ice ninja didn't have to physically move between her constructs. She could teleport between each mirror, as long as the distance wasn't too great. Five mirrors hung in the air. Haku had managed to keep the redhead trapped in a rather large area, and at the same time restricted the ogre's movement. Tayuya couldn't move her summons far away from herself, they were too busy acting as shields, but at the same time Haku wasn't able to land a decisive blow.

Throwing senbon from inside the mirror kept the genjutsu from affecting her, but it also threw off her depth perception and greatly limited the paths her projectiles could take. Unfortunately, Inoichi didn't have the same protection she did. The jonin lay slumped on the ground outside the circle of ice mirrors.

The bare-skinned ogre charged the defenseless Yamanaka. Haku moved to the third mirror and threw senbons at the summoner. The armless demon released a swarm of multi-mouthed spectral worms to intercept the attack. Haku unleashed another volley from the first and fifth mirrors. The ogre that had been attacking another mirror moved back and brought its club up to block. The attacking oni was called back to intercept her senbon as well.

It was a stalemate.

Haku narrowed her eyes. She hated stalemates. They were never in her advantage. The ice mirrors were too costly to maintain. If Inoichi wasn't here, she'd have more freedom to attack. At least her female companions had left the area. Haku wasn't sure of her ability to guard all three for any length of time. What could she do? Another mirror? A sixth line of potential attacks might finally break through Tayuya's defenses. If it failed, Haku's chakra would be depleted even faster.

With Shirou's life on the line, that wasn't a risk she could afford. Haku closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I apologize." The demonic kunochi looked at her strangely, but kept playing her flute. "This isn't a technique I enjoy using. It will cause you great pain, and it may kill you." Haku opened her eyes and glared at her opponent. "Still, I can't hold back right now. If I have to risk either your or Shirou's life... I choose to save my brother!" She formed seals, and then extended her hand from the mirror.

Ice began to form around the redheaded girl. Frost crept up her darkened skin. Tayuya's eyes grew wide. Her playing faltered for a second before re-intensifying. The Ogres charged as one. The trio abandoned all defense, and moved towards the prone body of her teacher. Haku aborted her jutsu, and flickered from mirror to mirror. A swarm of senbon filled the air. Two of the ogres fell back to partially shield their mistress. The third one, the one with the club, the most dangerous one... kept going.

Haku looked on with horror as the ogre raised its weapon over its head. The massive piece of wood was brought down with a wet thud. With that, she'd lost another sensei. The third summons staggered back to the Sound kunochi's side, while the other two maintained their vigil.

Haku felt the coldness inside her. The void of loss. The hopeless feeling that she was alone in the world again. She'd liked Inoichi. He wasn't Zabuza, but he hadn't tried to be her and Shirou's father. Instead, he kept his distance, but was always around when they needed him. Haku closed her eyes and prepared to restart her jutsu. She needed to make it count.

"Hey! What are you...?!" Tayuya's surprised shout was cut short. The club-wielding orge had batted her, towards Haku. The other two ogres stopped their attack, and turned on the redhead. "What's going on?" She looked at her summons as they descended upon her. She uttered a string of profanity before clasping her hands in front of her. "Kai!" The demons vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Now. This was Haku's chance! Tayuya wasn't playing her song. She was in range and defenseless. The Ice ninja blurred from her mirror. Brace after brace of senbon flew towards the other girl. They struck true, hitting multiple vital spots. The redhead looked shocked as she collapsed. Her transformation wore off before she hit the ground.

"Good job, Haku!"

The masked ninja spun at the sound. Inoichi moved out from behind a tree. "Sensei! I thought you were dead!"

The blonde ninja smiled. "It'd take more than that to finish me off."

"But the genjutsu, it got you! You were asleep!" Haku ran towards her teacher and looked him up and down.

Inoichi chuckled. "It did, and I was, but that doesn't mean I was out of the fight. Part of me was asleep, but that didn't mean I couldn't perform jutsu." The older ninja shook his head. "I'm just glad you were able to hold out so long. It took me longer than I though to take control of those summons. They weren't just single entities, so dominating their collective minds took some effort."

Haku nodded as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Ok, let's save Shirou!"

"Are you sure you're up for it?" Inoichi eyed her carefully. "That fight looked like it took a lot out of you."

Haku shook her head. "I'm fine. Let's go." She paused and looked at their fallen adversary. "What should we do about her?"

"I guess we should seal her body, it won't take long."

The one-armed ninja gasped. "That'd kill her!"

Inoichi turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "You mean she's not dead?"

"No." Haku shook her head. "The points I targeted were for paralysis, not death. She'll die in several hours if I don't remove the senbon though."

"Amazing, even in that kind of a situation..." The blonde ninja muttered to himself before clearing his throat. "A prisoner is valuable, but we don't have the means to carry her effectively while pursuing out mission. We'll leave her here, and retrieve her on our way back."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

Inoichi shook his head. "No, we'll make sure that not a single enemy ninja gets past us. So her body should remain untouched until we return."

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"Fang over Fang Illusion!"

Anko watched as eight whirlwinds spread out from Tsume's position. They bounced off the terrain before homing in on Jirobo from all sides. The Sound ninja had activated a second stage of his Cursed Seal. It hadn't just infused him with Orochimaru's chakra. The seal caused his body to transform. Their opponent now looked like a demon, and seemed about as tough as one. The spiraling kunochi and her dog slashed the monster as they flew past. Blood spurted from the wounds they inflicted, and he fell to the ground.

"I thought you said he couldn't keep the Seal's power going for long, and that all we had to do was out-last him?" Tsume was breathing heavily. She'd lost a good amount of chakra at the start of the fight before they learned to avoid prolonged contact with their opponent or the ground he manipulated.

"Orochimaru must've improved his seal since he marked me." Anko shuddered. "I guess I should be grateful mine didn't change me into some kind of freak."

"Heh." Tsume smirked. "That wouldn't be much of a transformation."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up dog breath." The purple-haired kunochi smiled back. A groan came from the ground, and she spun back towards their opponent. Jirobo staggered to his feet. Anko stared with disbelief. "Why aren't you dead?!"

"Trash like you could never beat me." The large man wheezed out as he clutched his right arm. It hung unmoving at his side. "Orochimaru-sama has granted me this power. I won't lose to someone who threw away such a gift!"

"I guess we keep on doing it the hard way." Tsume crouched down and flexed her claw-like hands. "Fang over Fa..." She suddenly stopped her attack and dodged to the side. A crack appeared under her, spewing up rocks and chunks of earth. "A new trick eh?"

Anko looked at Jirobo, but the Sound ninja didn't have his usual look of superiority on his face. Instead, his eyes were wide and his mouth hung open a bit. "Tsume! This isn't his doing! Watch out!" The T&I ninja leapt towards a tree as the ground shuddered again.

More cracks erupted. The Inuzuka retreated to higher ground, but Jirobo didn't move fast enough. He was injured and the unstable ground gave out beneath him. The kunochi pair watched as he was swallowed up.

"What's going on?" Tsume muttered after the ground settled. "An earthquake?"

Anko shook her head. "No, the ground didn't shake. That eruption looked more like a volcano."

"There wasn't any heat."

"So gas escaping?" Anko looked at the devastation below, she didn't want to leave her perch to get a closer look.

"I'd smell it if there was." Tsume growled. "That was a wind jutsu. A powerful one. I bet we weren't even the targets."

"Then the Sound ninja was?"

"No." The feral-looking woman shook her head. "I think his earth jutsu just loosened the ground here, gave the pressure a place to escape."

Anko gulped. "Well, I say we count our blessing and move on."

"Feh." Tsume snorted. "Some blessing. He was already beat, but now we can't recover his body."

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Shirou was blown against the wall by the wind. He had a perfect vision of Saber as she charged after him. The hallway exploded when she was halfway through. "No!" He gasped, as he struggled to his feet. He had managed only the smallest of reinforcement on himself, and the blow had knocked the wind from his lungs. "Saber!"

"Ah, finally." A shadow emerged from around the corner. "The two of you got far too close to the surface for my liking." Orochimaru strode towards the injured form of Shirou. "Looks like I don't have much time to complete the ritual. I doubt that hallway will slow your Summons down for very long."

"Ritual?" Shirou clutched his butterfly sword with his working hand. "What ritual?"

"Why, to claim your body." The Snake Sannin smiled. "I did say you'd be me next vessel did I not?"

Shirou swallowed as he glanced left and right. "You also said that it was risky, and that you wanted more time!"

"Risky for you perhaps." The jonin casually walked forward. "You may not be a good match for me, but I can always abort the ritual. I assure you, I'll be fine."

"What would happen to me?"

"Oh, you'd die." Orochimaru shook his head. "I admit it's a waste, but you've forced my hand." The jonin stopped in front of Shirou. "Now let's begin."

The Sannin opened his mouth wide. Wider than it could possibly open. A torrent of white snakes flowed out of him. Each was as thick as one of his legs, and twice as long. Far more than could have possibly existed inside the older ninja's body. Shirou could only stare as the human body of Orochimaru was shed like a skin, leaving only a gigantic white serpent composed of thousands of snakes.

"What are you?"

"Oh, the time for questions is over." Orochimaru's voice echoed through the narrow passage. "Soon you'll be beyond caring."

The Sannin lunged.

Darkness.

Shirou felt himself floating in an empty void before his feet touched the ground. There was a slight crunching as permafrost cracked under his weight. He opened his eyes as the world around him materialized. The redhead was standing on the same small hill he'd been on with Naruto. The cage around him was gone, as were the Tori in the distance. The multitude of blades remained, and a gentle snow still fell. There were three other people with him. They stood in a group to his left.

"What is this?" The center one spoke. All three were a mass of pulsating flesh except for part of their faces. Two seemed to be unconscious, but Orochimaru wasn't. The Sannin took what could possibly be called a step forward. "This isn't right! Where are we?"

Shirou breathed out. He felt at peace here. Confident. Powerful. He flexed his left hand. All his wounds and weariness were gone. "Trace On." Power flowed through him. The Sword ninja strode towards Orochimaru's fleshly form. "I don't know what this is, but I think this is a world created for me." With hardly any effort, Kubikiribocho flew from where it was embedded to his hands.

"What?! NO!" The Snake ninja turned his head side to side. "This isn't right! You can't beat me in a battle of wills! Not in your condition!"

He raised an arm, and it shot towards Shirou. The red flesh extending as it snaked forward.

Kubikiribocho blurred, and the appendage was cut off. It fell to the ground and wiggled as snow fell on top of it. Where the snowflakes touched, ice bloomed and the flesh froze. In a matter of moments it was white and still. Shirou looked at it for a moment before crushing it with his foot. The frozen blob shattered. There was no trace of it left.

"So, you can't be hurt by this ritual?" Shirou glared at Orochimaru. "I think you got that backwards!" The redhead dashed forward.

"No!" The Snake Sannin swung at him with his other arm. His movements were slow and obvious. A far cry from the agility he displayed in real life.

Kubikiribocho severed the attacking limb, and then Shirou cut deeply into Orochimaru at the waste. The Sannin's form folded in and then fell over. The redhead looked down at the flesh that connected the three bodies. "I don't know what this place is, or what's going on. However, this seems to be the obvious move!" Shirou hefted Zabuza's sword over his head with both arms. He swung the legendary blade down in a brutal chop. The pulsating cord connecting the two bodies was severed.

"No! This is impossible!" Orochimaru cried from the ground. Kubikiribocho was raised for another attack. The Snake Sannin closed his visible eye. "Kai!"

The world went dark again. Shirou heard a voice calling his name.

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Saber's chakra vibrated against the rocks that threatened to crush her. Slowly, inch by inch, step by step, she clawed her way forward. A regular human would've been killed. An exceptional ninja would've been crushed and pinned. Saber could free herself, but she didn't know how long it would take. It was like swimming through molasses. She had no time to waste.

The Servant summoned her sword in front of her. The sheath of air surrounded it. This was dangerous. She didn't know if what was left of the tunnel could take this punishment, but still the best option. With a thought, the winds that surrounded her blade started coming undone. Saber couldn't aim them forward, that would send countless stone projectiles at Shirou. Instead, the Servant caused the air to radiate from the sides. The effect was instantaneous. The whirlwind she created buffeted her. The shattered remains of the hallway shuddered and then flew apart. Stones scattered in front of her like leaves.

As the golden sword that was once concealed came into view, it started glowing. The light was always there, even if no one but her could see it. The newly revealed sword lit up the pitch-black tunnel. There was a crash behind Saber as she stepped forward. The rocks she'd been supporting fell down, there impact echoing in the newly open space. The petite girl's pace increased. Now that her sheath of air was undone, all of its power would be expended in a matter of seconds. With the gale in front of her leading the way, Saber charged.

She broke through to the other side to see Shirou staring at a gigantic white snake. Her Master still clutched his summoned sword in one hand, but made no move to defend himself.

"Shirou!" Saber shouted as she surged forward. The boy blinked, and turned his head towards her.

"Saber?" He turned back towards the snake. "Orochimaru!" The redhead staggered backwards. His movement stopped when Saber interposed herself between him and the Sannin. The wounded ninja drew in a breath. Saber's eyes flickered over her shoulder to look at him. Shirou didn't seem to be any worse for wear, but his gaze was locked onto her sword.

"Excalibur..." He muttered as if in a trance.

Saber turned back towards the snake. She raised the Sword of Promised Victory above her head, and charged. The strangely human face of the monster groaned. Excalibur blurred. Its golden streaks left snake after snake bisected. A whirlwind of gore, but none of it touched the Servant. After her charge, she stopped and turned around. Saber's eyes scanned the hallway. She hadn't missed a single reptile.

"I will be very upset if that didn't kill him." She spoke in her usual calm voice as she walked back towards Shirou. "Come, let us resume our escape."

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Haku and Inoichi landed next to a pile of upturned soil. The Ice ninja looked around. She couldn't make head or tails of the battlefield. "What do you think happened?"

The blonde ninja scratched his head. "I haven't the faintest idea. I'm not a tracker, so I'm not even sure there was a fight here." He peered down a hole. "Whatever made these sinkholes was a pretty strong jutsu."

"Do you think Mitarashi-san and Inuzuka-san are alright?"

"If they haven't encountered Orochimaru, then the two of them should be fine." Inoichi looked up from wreckage. "Saber's chakra flare has subsided."

Haku nodded as she turned to face the same direction. "I hope that's a good sign."

"Anko and Tsume will have headed that way, we should do the same. Saber is close."

"Right."

The pair circled around the destruction on the forest's floor, and continued their pursuit. After a minute, Inoichi stopped. He held up a hand. "I think we've gone past Saber."

"What?" Haku looked left and right. She didn't see the Servant, though her chakra felt close.

"She's probably underground." Inoichi motioned with his head. "C'mon, Anko and Tsume are this way."

Haku nodded and followed the more experienced sensor. They came upon the pair in a nearby clearing. Anko waved to them from a tree, as Tsume and her dog scoured the ground. The Trench-coat wearing ninja landed in front of them. She and Inoichi both studied one another in silence. Haku looked from one to another, what was going on? Some unseen signal passed between them, and the pair's tension evaporated at the same time.

"Good to see you made it old man." The purple-haired kunochi grinned.

"You two Anko-san." Inoichi nodded. "Did the two of you encounter any problems?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Anko crossed her arms under her chest. "It did slow us down a bit, but not too long." She jerked her thumb behind her. "Tsume's found some scents around here. There's probably a concealed entrance."

As if on cue, the ground heaved open sending up a cloud of dust. All four ninja adjusted their stance as they turned to face the newly revealed passage. A familiar blonde form emerged from underground. Saber strode forward, a brilliant golden sword in her hand. Behind her a weary-looking Shirou followed.

Haku was down on the ground and hugging her brother before anyone else reacted. "Shirou! You're safe, you big dummy!"

She felt a familiar touch on her back as the redhead returned her embrace. "Haku!" Shirou took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I worried you. Thanks for coming to save me."

Haku shook her head. "It's ok now, just... don't ever do something like that again!" She felt her voice cracking, so she buried her face in her brother's chest. "We fight together, remember?"

"I remember." Shirou rubbed her back.

Haku didn't cry. She didn't want to do something so unprofessional in front of everyone. She stayed in her brother's arms for a few moments more, before releasing him. When she turned around she saw Saber conferring with Inoichi. The Servant's golden sword was gone, and Haku wondered if she'd imagined it.

"We've secured our objective. Now we need to return to the Hidden Leaf." The blonde ninja held up a hand, preempting Anko's objection. "We will not be entering Orochimaru's lair to try and engage him. That's not our mission. We need to leave before enemy reinforcements arrive."

The purple-haired kunochi grumbled but nodded. Haku and Saber carried Shirou between them, and the group set off. They passed the gigantic sink hole along the way, and Anko told them about the Sound ninja they'd fought. Inoichi directed them to where they'd encountered the flute-playing ninja. When they arrived, she was gone.

Haku left Shirou in Saber's care and investigated the clearing. Inoichi came up behind her. "I guess she recovered."

The Ice ninja shook her head. "It's not possible to recover on one's own from that technique. Not in such a short amount of time." She reached down and picked up a pristine senbon. "Someone helped her."

Tsume sniffed the air. "I don't smell anyone else, but I also don't smell her tracks leading away."

Haku held up her senbon. "It was a medic that helped her. Removing the senbons without detailed knowledge of the human body would result in more blood."

The female jonin peered at the weapon. "There's not a drop on it. No trace of her scent."

Haku nodded. "It's been sterilized. If I had removed it, there would still be faint traces of blood. Whoever did this healed her as the senbon were removed."

"A medic nin?" Inoichi asked from the side. "I'm not sensing anyone. It's worrisome that Orochimaru has another ninja on his side that is so skilled."

Haku dropped the senbon and stood up. "What do we do?"

"We get back to the Land of Fire and the Hidden Leaf as quickly as possible."

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Shirou sat in his hospital room's bed. He felt fine now, but the staff insisted that he get his rest. They had fussed over him, especially when he mentioned re-attaching his hand.

Saber has stayed silent while other people were around. Now that the two of them were alone, she spoke. "Shirou. I believe I have some knowledge that may be beneficial."

"Oh?" He propped himself up on his elbows.

"I don't think your healing capacity is due to any... genetic advantage." The Servant bowed her head for a moment before continuing. "There's a certain... artifact that I once possessed. It granted near perfect protection, and could be used to heal any wound." Saber turned her head and gazed out the window. "I lost it through treachery, but had it returned during the last war."

Shirou cocked his head. "So you've been healing me?"

"In a round about way, yes." Saber moved to the doorway and looked left and right. "Avalon can only use my... chakra. I suspect it laid dormant in you until I was summoned. Its very presence was likely the cause of my appearance."

"Sorry Saber, but I don't have anything like that on me." Shirou looked down at his body. "All the equipment I had was ruined or taken by Orochimaru. He only left me my pants." The boy grinned. "Guess I should count my blessings."

The petite blonde shook her head. "Avalon's true form is a sheath, but it's essence can be conceptualized. My Master in the last war did it to protect... someone important." Saber took a deep breath. "I'm telling you this so you don't try and rely on its power. Once the war is over, you won't have its protection any longer." The swordswoman smiled. "However, the odds of you living to the end have greatly increased. Even if I fall, my residual energy should keep you safe for a time. Also, don't think you're immortal. There are some wounds that even Avalon can't handle."

"I understand. It explains why I didn't notice regenerating when I was younger." Shirou lay back. "Hey, Saber, do you think it's because of Avalon that I was able to resist Orochimaru?"

"I do not know." The Servant closed her eyes. "It protects against all bodily harm, but against a spiritual attack I'm not certain. Keeping you pure and freed of outside influences is another of its powers." She paused for a moment before opening her eyes to look at Shirou. "I don't know the details of what Orochimaru tried to do. I'm sure that an attack against your mind would at the least be greatly weakened while you possess it."

"Ok." Shirou closed his eyes and rested. He dozed for a minute before bolting upright. "Haku's arm!" He spun to face his Summons. "Saber, if Avalon is in me, could I give it Haku? Could it restore her arm?"

"Removing it should not be a hard task, with time I could teach you how." Saber shook her head. "Alas, I fear it would not prove useful to your sister. Avalon protects. Its healing is a reflection of that. You could say it's operating at reduced effectiveness by letting you get hurt in the first place. For me, it would prevent the wound entirely." The Servant brought a hand to her chin. "If she was still injured it would work, but Haku's arm has healed completely." She motioned to Shirou's wrist. "You still have a scar. It formed while your hand was separated from you. Avalon won't heal it because your body has done so on its own."

"Oh." Shirou fell back onto his bed. "So since it's been so long, and Haku's arm has healed naturally... basically it's too late."

Saber nodded. "That is my belief. I could be mistaken as I've never tried utilizing Avalon in such a manner before... but I would not get my hopes up."

"..." Shirou stared out the window in silence.

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"I'm here to see Shirou Uzumaki." Haku stood in the hospital entrance area. Her brother had been taken here directly, and no one else was allowed access to him. Well, no one but Saber. That was more likely due to the potential of conflict than any standard procedure regarding patients and their summons. "He was admitted yesterday. I was told that I could come by in the morning."

The brown haired ninja sitting at the desk sorted through some papers. "Ah, here he is. Sorry, no visitors."

"What? Why?" Haku's voice fell flat.

The secretary shrugged his shoulders. "There was a break in. Somebody got into the hospital records." He glanced side-to-side before cupping his hand and whispering. "I think some Anbu were involved."

"What does that have to do with Shirou?"

"We're in lock down. Nobody is allowed in for the time being."

Haku's arm trembled, but she turned around and walked out. She tried to tell herself that Shirou was safe now. The person behind him being abducted was dead. They were inside the Hidden Leaf's walls. Saber was with him. None of that made her feel better. She'd come so close to losing him. She hadn't had a proper catharsis when they'd rescued him. Haku needed to sit down and talk with Shirou. That was the only way she'd KNOW he was all right.

The black-haired kunochi wasn't watching where she was going, and bumped into someone. She immediately stepped back and bowed. "Sorry! I was lost in my thoughts, and wasn't paying attention!"

"Well, it's partly my fault." A familiar voice spoke. "I should have trained your awareness better."

"Inoichi-san!"

The blonde jonin smiled down at her. "Leaving so soon? I thought you'd be spending the entire day sitting by Shirou's bedside."

Haku put her hand on her hip, and turned away. "They wouldn't let me in."

"Oh?"

"Something about increased security."

"Let's see if they'll make an exception for a high-ranking Torture and Intelligence officer." The Yamanaka smirked, and strode past Haku. She followed him into the hospital. "We're going to see Shirou Uzumaki." He addressed the young man at the desk as he walked past.

"There are no visitors allowed right now!"

Inoichi retorted over his shoulder. "I wasn't asking for permission. I was just being polite and telling you what was happening."

"But..but... you can't just... eep!"

"Chill out." Anko had appeared behind the receptionist. Her arm hung over his shoulders. "You probably don't recognize him, but that's a Captain of the Intelligence Division." The purple-haired kunochi toyed with a kunai in her other hand. "Why don't you just let the Anbu in the hallways decide if we're allowed past?" She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "It'll probably be safer for you."

The brown-haired ninja gulped. "O..Ok, uhm, please be considerate of the other patients."

Anko hopped over the counter, and joined Haku and Inoichi. "Man, the security around here sucks! No wonder they had a break in."

"This section is for civilians Anko." Inoichi looked straight ahead as he walked. "The real security is deeper in and hidden."

"Yeah, yeah, Anbu. Whatever." Anko rolled her eyes.

"Why are you here, Mitarashi-san?" Haku glanced over a the other woman.

"Same as you, I'm just checking in on my favorite genin." The trench-coat wearing ninja smiled. "I also want to hear the juicy details of Saber killing Orochimaru!" Anko's smile grew a bit wide, and lasted for a bit too long for comfort.

"There won't be any discussion about Shirou's abduction."

"Yamanaka-san, why?" Anko whined.

"Shirou will be debriefed at T&I, after he's fully recovered." Inoichi continued to walk while looking straight ahead. "His rescue and what he experienced until then is an A-Rank secret. We can't talk about it in the open."

"Fine." Anko crossed her arms over her chest. "But, I want to be there when he does tell that story."

"Heh." The blonde ninja chuckled. "I'm sure if I tried to keep you away, you'd just ferret the story out of him in a less-secure place."

"You know it!" Anko beamed. "One way or another, I'm getting some first-hand details!"

The trio turned a few corners, and stopped in front of a door. "Here we are." Inoichi nodded. "Haku go on ahead, Anko and I will wait here."

"But!" The purple-haired ninja exclaimed before slumping her shoulders. "Fine. The two of them deserve some alone time."

"Thank you Inoichi-san." Haku gave a slight bow before opening the door and stepping inside.

Shirou laid on the bed inside. Saber stood in a corner, a small vortex of chakra in front of her. "Haku!" Shirou sat up. "How are you?"

"How am I?" Haku shook her head. "I'm not the one that was abducted for three days! Honestly." She walked over to the foot of his bed, and picked up the chart hanging there. The Ice-ninja cocked an eyebrow. "Dehydration and malnutrition? That's all?"

"Ah, well..." Shirou glanced over at his Servant. "I was unconscious most of the time, and Saber's... abilities? Healed my injuries."

"Saber can heal?" Haku turned to look at the blonde woman.

"Only me, for now." Shirou hung his head. "I don't think she'll be able to restore your arm."

"What are you talking about?" Haku put the chart back in its slot, and sat down next to the bed. "Why would she be able to restore my arm. More importantly, why are you even thinking about something like that now?"

"You see, she has this... Conceptual Weapon, that can heal people." Shirou shook his head. "But, your injury healed a long time ago, so she doesn't think Avalon can help you."

"Shirou." Haku reached out and took his hand with her's. "I don't care about that now." She gave a squeeze. "All I want to do is make sure you're ok, and talk for a while."

Shirou smiled. "I'd like that." He squeezed her hand back.


	13. The Chunin Exams 8

"You can go and see him now, Karin-san."

The redhead lifted her head at the announcement. It'd been three days since Shirou came back. She'd visited the hospital every morning, but got the same brush-off each time. Still, it looked like her persistence had finally paid off. "Thanks!" She hopped to her feet and set off down the hallway.

"Don't you want directions?" A voice called out after her.

"Nah." She replied over her shoulder. "I don't need 'em." She'd been keeping track of Shirou, well Saber, with her mind's eye. It was frustrating that she couldn't see her cousin directly. Karin was used to being able to know things like that whenever she wanted to. Shirou's hidden chakra was a real pain sometimes. At least his Servant was easy to track. Saber's chakra was so calming, it made focusing on her no work at all. It had pulsed a few minutes ago, but immediately returned to normal. The redhead didn't know if that was normal, or if something had happened.

Karin sprinted down the hallway, and nearly collided with a grownup as she rounded a corner. The Grass genin let out a small 'eep', and moved to the side. She hung her head, trying to escape notice. The person she'd nearly hit paid her no mind. He was older and looked like he belonged in the hospital. He walked with a cane, and had his other arm and part of his face bandaged. Two Anbu flanked him.

The small kunochi let out a gasp. She recognized those two. They were the ones that had carried her back to the village. The ones that talked about Saber, and hadn't cared about Shirou. Karin focused her mind's eye on the central figure, and flinched at what she saw. He was... an abomination. His chakra was thick and vile. Dark and dangerous. That wasn't the worst part. His hidden eye was someone else's. The chakra didn't match, and it was consuming a lot of the man's energy. It reminder her of Naruto's sensei. Kakashi's hidden eye felt incredibly similar.

The worst part was the man's hand. It was vibrant, containing more chakra than the rest of him combined. Many times over. However, it was dotted with the same drains as his hidden eye. Something was embedded in it. Several somethings that only maintained their chakra draw due to his arm.

The girl trembled as the monster passed her. Sweat dripped from Karin's forehead. If he turned his attention on her, she wasn't sure what she'd do. She'd stand no chance. His vile chakra ebbed... and then receded as he continued down the hallway. The redhead resisted the urge to let out a sigh. She stood frozen for several seconds until she noticed something. The room the abomination had exited was the same one that contained Saber. And Shirou.

Karin's eyes opened wide. She pushed open the door in a panic, not bothering to knock. Shirou laid in the room's bed, and Saber stood off to the side.

"Karin!" Shirou smiled at her.

The kunochi paused. Both Shirou and Saber seemed perfectly fine. "That..." She motioned to the door behind her. "That man that was just here... What did he want?"

"Danzo-san?" Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Nothing. He just came to see how I was doing. I think he's an elder or something."

"Is that it?"

"Well... he did spend a lot of his time talking at Saber." Shirou chuckled. "You know her though. It'd take more than that to break through my Servant's stoic demeanor."

From the corner, Saber spoke in her quiet tone. "It was improper of him to address a Servant as he did. I abide by the rules of the Leaf Village because you wish it Shirou. I do not acknowledge him, or anyone else in the Leaf's leadership as my liege."

"Oh," Karin's body sagged. "Then I guess it was nothing."

"What was?"

"Those two Anbu with him." The redheaded kunochi adjusted her glasses. "They were originally on the mission to rescue you, but withdrew with me and Saber." Karin looked over at the Servant. "When she collapsed."

"If I had known it was the same pair, I would have treated them more cordially." The blonde swordswoman stated.

"Yeah, well..." Karin expanded her senses, making certain the three of them were along. "They said their main purpose on the mission was to obtain Saber's loyalty."

"That's odd..." Shirou tilted his head. "I wouldn't think Anbu would discuss their mission so openly."

"That's not the point!" Karin stomped her foot. "They only cared about you as a resource of the Leaf! They weren't there to save you, that just happened to be a side-benefit of being around Saber!"

"So?"

"So?!"

"I know that Haku and I were only accepted into the Leaf because of how useful we could be." Shirou shook his head. "We were villageless ninja, and couldn't offer anything aside from our service. With Saber appearing." He looked over at his Servant. "That's changed things. She's incredibly powerful. So much so, that her presence is a double-edged sword. If more Servants appear to fight her... Well, let's just say I wouldn't want that happening around you, Haku, or Naruto." Shirou locked eyes with his cousin. "Saber swore an oath to me. She's more valuable than me by a long shot. So it makes sense. If I die, then securing her services would be a high priority."

"But... but..."

"It is not something to become upset about." Saber added from the side. "Such negotiations with Masters are commonplace for Servants that have lost theirs. Indeed, while my loyalty is to Shirou, I cannot say I would be unswayed by such offers in the case of his passing." The blue-clad woman shut her eyes. "I would like to think my loyalty to Shirou would trump any other offers, but if my liege falls... It would be my duty as a knight to avenge him. Another Master in that case would be suitable, so long as it was one Shirou would approve of."

"How can the two of you talk so casually about Shirou's death!" Tears swelled up in Karin's red eyes.

"Karin..." Shirou looked surprised.

The female Uzumaki rushed forward and hugged him. "You can't die! You just can't! Don't talk about it so casually! Don't you know what it would do to me if you died on me too!?" She felt a strong hand pat her on the head.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere." Shirou's hand continued it's rhythmic motion. "Neither Saber nor I want that, we were just... distancing ourselves from the possibility. It helps to take a broader view in time like that. Acting irrationally can wind up causing problems for other people you care about."

Karin could only nod. She didn't trust herself with speaking right now. The two stayed together for what felt like an eternity, but the hug also ended far too soon. The kunochi wiped her eyes.

"How has your training been going?" Shirou smiled at her. "I hope coming to my rescue didn't hurt it too much."

Kain shook her head. "It's fine. Odoriebi is great! It's taking me a while to fill it up, but it can manipulate the shape of my chakra with such little effort."

"That's good. Would you like me to come by and help you train? Spar or something?"

"No. Don't do that." Karin looked to the side, she could tell her cheeks were flushing. "I'm not saying I wouldn't appreciate your help, but you have your own training to worry about. I mean, the time you spent on me already, and getting abducted. You have to focus on your upcoming match. That white-eyed boy you're up against looks tough."

Shirou frowned. "Yeah, Neji is dangerous."

"I do not think Shirou will lose, but his opponent is undoubtedly more skilled than he." Saber added from the side. "Neji Hyuga's moves are more precise. He is quicker. Against a normal opponent, his victory would be almost a given. Even among the skilled finalists in your tournament, his prowess stands out."

"Oh..."

"Hey! Don't look so depressed." Shirou's hand lifted Karin's chin up. "Didn't you just hear Saber? If she doesn't think I'll lose, then there's no way I will right? She's incredibly knowledgeable. Especially when it come to combat."

Karin looked over at the Servant. Saber gave her a short nod. The Uzumaki felt the blonde woman's golden chakra swell with emotion. Saber's confidence poured through her. Shirou was right, if Saber said something then whatever it was would surely come to pass. The redhead gulped. She didn't dare ask about her own match. Tenten was older and more skilled. The Servant's observation could shatter any illusion of her victory that Karin still held.

"Well... I'm glad your ok! It was great seeing you again!" The kunochi backed towards the door and gave a small wave with her hand. "I should follow my own advice. I have a match to train for too!"

"Ok Karin." Shirou smiled at her. "Thanks for coming to see me! It really made my day!"

"Idiot..." The redhead mumbled. "You can't just go around saying things like that so casually. You'll wind up hurting Haku's feelings." With that, Karin bolted out the door.

Shirou looked at the ceiling for a couple of minutes. "I wonder when they'll let me out, I've missed nearly a week of training now."

"It will undoubtedly be soon. Your body is in peak shape, now that you've eaten and replenished your fluids."

"Still, I wonder how Naruto's doing?" Shirou closed his eyes. "It was nice to hear that Karin's training was going well. It sounds like she really got a handle on Odoriebi. I also wonder if Tenten's practicing with Harikuyo." He opened his eyes and turned to look at Saber. "Do you think they'll come visit?"

"I'm sorry Shirou, but I doubt it." The Servant shook her head. "Your teacher said your abduction was a secret. It is unlikely that your acquaintances even know about it."

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "But Karin came."

"She was part of the mission that saved you." Saber looked at the door. "Everyone that visited you was, aside from Danzo. Even the two Anbu escorts."

"Really? I hadn't thought of it that way."

"Yes." The Servant swung her gaze back at her Master. "So do not be disappointed if you get no more visitors... Though I supposed the Inuzuka woman hasn't arrived yet..."

"Eh..." Shirou scratched his cheek. "I'm grateful to her for helping rescue me, but we'd never met before. I don't think she'll be coming."

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Danzo maintained his outer calm as he walked down the corridor. His Root escorts followed him. Once he was in his office and safely away from the 'Servant', he dismissed them.

*THWACK*

He brought his cane down on his desk. What was that!? Saber was even more dangerous than he'd ever imagined. His trump card had failed. It should have been impossible! The Sharingan was capable of subduing even the Tailed Beasts. Shisui's was the pinnacle of that ability. Fully awakened, the Kotoamatsukami was the greatest genjutsu known! The Servant hadn't been effected. It was hard to be certain, given the subtle nature of the technique, but her demeanor hadn't changed in the slightest. He still got the feeling that she would casually kill him if she wanted to.

Even with Hashirama's cells, it would take a while for his eye to recover. In the meantime, Danzo felt vulnerable. It didn't help matters that his fall-back plan for dealing with Saber was now in shambles. To defeat her, they'd need a seal on the same level as the Third's. That was a tall order.

The bandaged man sat down, and began reviewing his operatives' status and abilities. Not many had the aptitude to perform fuinjutsu. As a rule of thumb, he didn't teach it to his subordinates. The less they knew, the less likely it was that they would remove the seal he'd placed on them. Not that he really had to worry about such a thing, it would take a Seal Master to undo the Cursed Tongue Eradication Technique.

A Master like Shirou...

Argh! He was going around in circles. Should he re-visit the genin and apply the Kotoamatsukami to him? That would mean getting close to Saber again. A proposition he didn't much care for. Besides, the boy might be good at seals, but he had shown no other exceptional talents. The Servant did seem to obey his instructions. Could he control her through him?

Danzo wasn't sure. He didn't like being uncertain. Not having complete control of the situation opened up too many bad possibilities.

He exhaled.

For now, he'd just focus on training his forces to use fuinjutsu. Kotoamatsukami could remain in reserve, as it should be. The drain it placed on his transplanted cells while recharging was immense. He'd have to weaken the seals binding his arm. That would expose him even more, but there was little choice. Thankfully, Orochimaru's defeat had put an end to his plans to assassinate the Hokage. True, it meant he couldn't rise to power during the Chunin Exams as he intended. It also meant that there was time to rebuild his stamina and train his troops before the next struggle occurred.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Temari walked down the market street. Staying in the Leaf Village was so boring! She'd much rather be doing missions or training back home. In the forest she couldn't even practice her more powerful wind jutsu without hurting the local environment. The sands of Suna were much better for that sort of thing. At least their shops were nice. Similar to the bazaars of her homeland, but different. The Leaf was a large village, and had a nice variety of goods. Most seemed commonplace to the locals, but were exotic to her. At least she got to relax and enjoy the exams. Their father had done something nice for once, even if it was his death.

"Temari-san!" Someone called her name in the crowd. The Sand kunochi cautiously turned, one hand going to her fan. An assassination attempt was unlikely, but she kept her guard up all the same. From the crowd a figure emerged with long dark hair. As she approached, she continued to talk. "Sorry for being so rude, but I don't know your last name."

The sandy-haired girl narrowed her eyes as she looked at the newcomer. She had fair, pale skin and long ebony hair. "My family doesn't have a last name. It strengthens the individual, and forces them to stand on their own merits. Do I know..." Temari let out a small gasp as the other girl finished squeezing through the crowd to stand in front of her. She'd been moving sideways to make her way, but now her body faced the other ninja. The left arm of her kimono hung empty by her side. The one-armed ninja from the first and second tests! "You're... Haku? Right?"

The girl closed her eyes and smiled. "That's right!"

"Huh." Temari grunted. "You look different without your mask on."

"Well, that's kinda the point!" Haku brought her hand to her face and giggled. A basket was held in the crook of her elbow. "What are you shopping for?"

"Me?" The Sand kunochi blinked. "Nothing in particular, just taking in the sights."

"Have you had lunch yet?" The Ice ninja tilted her head. "I know of a lovely little tea shop that isn't far from here."

"Uhm..." Temari looked side to side. It was unlikely to be a trap. The Sand and the Leaf were still allies. It would be smart to stay away, but rude to refuse.

"C'mon!" Haku turned and nudged her with her elbow. "We can gossip about our brothers!"

Right. This girl and her brother had been the odd two-person team. They'd both won their preliminary matches with hardly any effort. "Sure!" Temari smiled. It'd be nice to talk to someone about Gaara and Kankuro. Her siblings had been getting on her nerves lately.

"Great!" Haku nodded, and led the way through the crowd.

Temari eyed her basket. "What are you shopping for?"

The black-haired girl turned her head over her shoulder. "Just some ingredients for dinner."

"Really? I'd thought you'd spend most of your time this month training for the exams."

"Oh, I have, but tonight is special!" Haku smiled. "My brother's getting out of the hospital!"

Temari put a finger to her lips and looked upwards. "Shirou, right? Did he get injured training or something? That's bad luck this close to the finals."

Haku waved a hand from side to side in front of her. "No, nothing like that. He was admitted for dehydration and malnutrition." The kunochi tilted her head. "Well, I guess you could say it was because of his training." She smirked. "My little brother never knew how to pace himself."

The Sand ninja nodded. "So this isn't new for him."

"Actually it is." Haku turned down an alleyway and Temari followed. "He's never gotten sick before. This last week was... taxing. What about Gaara. Is he training hard?"

Temari shook her head. "Gaara doesn't need to train. Honestly, I don't know what he does with his time. He keeps on vanishing during the day."

"Little brothers can be a handful."

"Tell me about it!" The Sand kunochi looked at the tall buildings to either side. "One of mine is anti-social. The other one plays with his puppets all day long."

"They both sound like Shirou." The pair emerged from the alley, and Haku looked left and right. "He's never been skilled with people. My brother's an odd duck." The black-haired girl motioned to the right, and set off again. "I don't think anyone is as weird as he is."

"Hah." Temari smirked. "That sounds like a challenge!"

"Oh? Ok then." Haku's eyes glinted. "He wears his mask almost all the time."

"Pft!" The sandy-haired kunochi grunted. "So do more ninja than I can count. Kankuro puts on his Kabuki makeup every single day! That boy spends more time in the bathroom than any girl I know!"

"Shirou is obsessed with swords. He once botched a mission because he was busy watching a blacksmith at work."

"Kankuro treats his puppets like children. If they get so much as nicked he frets over them until they're as good as new."

"Shirou does the same with his swords. If one get's chipped, he'll stay up all night fixing it."

"Gaara stays up all night every night."

"Every night?" Haku turned to look at her.

Temari nodded. "Every night." She looked at the ground. "I think he gets nightmares, and so prefers not to sleep."

Haku frowned. "That doesn't sound healthy."

The sandy-haired kunochi shrugged. "Healthier than the alternative."

"I guess..." Haku raised an eyebrow. "Well, we're here!"

Temari looked up. It was a dingy looking shop. "Really?"

"I know it looks rundown, and it is. The tea is top-notch though!"

"If you say so."

The pair entered. The small establishment was surprisingly busy. A waitress showed them to a corner. Haku ordered for the both of them. Soon the appetizers arrived, small and dainty sandwiches. The two ninja nibbled on them while waiting for their tea. When it came, Temari was surprised. It was excellent. Despite Haku's assurances of its quality, the Sand kunochi had doubted her. The two chatted for the better part of an hour. Going back and forth about dealing with odd-ball siblings. It wasn't until after their third pot that Haku looked out the window and noticed the sun.

"Ah! It's almost noon!"

"So?"

"I need to finish shopping and start on dinner!"

Temari shooed her away. "Go on then, I'm going to have another pot."

"Ok." The girl nodded, and reached insider her kimono for a money-pouch.

The Sand kunochi held up a hand. "Don't worry about it. It's my treat."

Haku shook her head. "I couldn't, you're a guest of the village."

"That's why I should cover it, my meals are free."

"Still, it was my idea to come."

"And you showed me a wonderful new place to eat, I should be thanking you."

Haku frowned. "It's rude for the host to have the guest pay."

"I'm going to be staying here a while. You'll have no idea what the final bill is." Temari shrugged. "You can't win this one."

Haku rolled her eyes, and put away her pouch. "Fine."

A second passed with Temari and Haku staring at one another. Then both girls broke into giggles at the same time. "It was nice talking with you Haku!"

"You too Temari!" The Ice ninja smiled. "I hope you enjoy the exams! And that Gaara gets promoted!"

"Same for you and your brother!"

The Sand kunochi gave a wave as Haku walked out the door. It was a lot nicer socializing with ninjas her age. It had been so stressful being around people she'd potentially have to kill before. Drinking tea with them was much better.

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Hinata lay in her hospital bed. Her chest no longer hurt as much. If she continued to heal at this rate, she'd be up and around in a week. That'd be soon enough to see the chunin finals. She wondered what Naruto was doing right now. There was a soft knock on the door. Shino. Kiba knock's were more energetic, or forgotten entirely. Her two teammates and her teacher were her only visitors. Father hadn't come. He hadn't seen fit to visit a loser like her. "Enter." Her quite voice filled the silence of the room. After a brief pause, the sound of the door opening followed it. A redheaded boy walked in. He was older than her, and quite tall. He wore a hospital gown tucked into a pair of ragged black pants. "You, you're not Shino! W-who are you?" The small girl pulled her sheets up to her chest.

The boy stopped and blinked. "Oh, sorry! We haven't been formally introduced, and you probably don't recognize me without my mask." He smiled as he closed his eyes and nodded to himself. Apparently taking pride in that fact. "My name is Shirou Uzumaki." His golden eyes opened and looked at her. "I'm Naruto's cousin, and you're one of his friends right? I'm glad to meet you!"

Hinata let out a small 'eep', and pulled the sheets over he face. She tentatively peeked out, and saw the blonde woman with the brilliant chakra enter the room behind Shirou. So it was the same boy from the exam. "You look a lot different without your mask."

He crossed his arms and nodded. "Exactly!"

"I.. I think you look more friendly this way." Hinata ducked back under the sheets. Her compliment hadn't had the desired effect.

Shirou hung his head and muttered "You too?"

The bed-prone girl dropped her sheets and waved her hands between them. "I, didn't mean anything by it! Your mask was really nice!" She then started poking her index fingers against each other. "So, uhm, w-why are you here, Shirou-san?" She hoped she wasn't being too forward using his first name.

"Oh?" The redhead looked up. "I was just released, and I saw your name on the visitors' list. I thought I'd come by and introduce myself." The boy scratched his cheek. "Before the exams, I didn't know Naruto had so many friends. Talking to you in person seems faster than waiting for him to introduce us."

Hinata felt her cheeks flush at the mention of her crush. "So you're his cousin?"

"Well, I'm an Uzumaki." Shirou pulled a chair next to her bed and sat down. "I doubt Naruto and I are that closely related, but it's easier than saying 'clan-mate', and a lot less formal too!" The boy smiled. "It's the same with you and Neji, right? The two of you share a last name, but you're not actually closely related."

"Neji..." Hinata had forgotten about him. He was going to fight Shirou, and then he'd fight Naruto.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Shirou bowed his head. "I didn't mean to upset you! I just said something without thinking! I mean, he can't be close to you. Not after that fight. No way the two of you are brother and sister."

"We are." The Hyuga heiress said in a small voice.

"What?!"

"Technically, we might be cousins, but our fathers were twins, so Neji always felt like an older brother to me."

"You're BROTHER did that to you?" Hinata squeaked again, and ducked her head. "Sorry!" Shirou's tone immediately lightened. "I just couldn't believe such a thing. Families are supposed to look out for one another."

"It's not Neji-onii-san's fault." Hinata started playing with her fingers again. "He's the one in pain." She looked up at Shirou's confused face, and continued. "Neji's father was born second, so he became a member of the branch house. No matter how strong or skilled Neji-onii-san is, he'll never be clan head. Unlike me, who's supposed to become it because of my birth." The black-haired girl ducked her head more. "I'm even less skilled than my little sister. Father no longer expects anything from me."

The redheaded boy leaned back. "I don't know what to think of all that. All I know is that he should've been nicer to you if he was family. Doubly so if he was your brother!"

"He, he tried to get me to stop." Hinata gulped. "It's my fault for being so weak."

"Saber, what do you think I should do?" Shirou turned to look at his Servant.

"In regards to your upcoming match, there is little to decide. You are to fight Neji, and that is that." The blonde woman's blue eyes narrowed. "However, his conduct in the preliminaries was unchivalrous. If I were his liege, I would forgive him. His behavior would have to change. This poses a problem, as his attitude seems unlikely to be amended any time soon."

"So... I shouldn't blame him, but if I could make him see the error of his ways?" Shirou scratched his head.

"That would be the optimal outcome. Convincing an opponent to lay down their arms, or that their cause is unjust is a difficult thing. Doubly so in the midst of combat." Saber gave a small shake of her head. "I doubt such a reversal could be easily achieved."

Shirou's gaze hardened. "Naruto did it. Not only to me, but to Zabuza-san." He nodded his head. "I'll do it too, even if you say I can't!"

"I did not say that." Saber held his gaze. "I merely expressed my concern at achieving such a lofty goal. That does not mean you should not attempt it. Indeed, the opposite holds true. To attain anything of worth, you must strive for greatness. No matter how hard the road may be."

"Uhm..." Hinata looked back and forth between the two visitors in her room. "You, you said Naruto made you see the errors of your way?" The timid girl then glanced down, and continued pressing her fingers together.

"Yeah." Shirou nodded. "It was when we first met. Or rather, the second time we met I guess." He looked up at the ceiling. "It seems so long ago now, I can hardly believe it."

"Would you tell me about it?" The bed-ridden girl's eyes flickered towards him, before looking back down at her fingers.

"Ok." Shirou leaned back in his chair. "I don't know how much of my past life I should go into, but I was traveling with Haku and Zabuza-san. We'd been in the Land of Waves for a while, and I'd just learned that I was an Uzumaki..."

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Shino walked down the corridor to Hinata's room. It was strange, the sign in sheet said she had a visitor that wasn't him or Kiba. Shirou Uzumaki. A relative of the Dead Last. He'd won his fight easily enough though, as did his sister. No wonder the pair had succeeded without a third teammate. Still, what was he doing visiting Hinata? Most likely getting information about his first match in the finals.

The Aburame approached Hinata's room, his kikaichu became agitated. From their movements, he could tell they sensed a large presence of chakra up ahead.

That was odd.

It took the kind of energy that powerful jutsu used to upset his swarm at this distance. His insects told him that the chakra was coming from his teammates room.

He opened the door in time to see an unfamiliar looking, tall, redheaded boy towering over Hinata's bed. The blonde woman that had stood off to the side in the exams was there as well. The kikaichu inside of him buzzed at her presence.

"You should step away from Hinata. Why? Because I am her teammate and I will defend her." Shino let his insects start to flow away from him.

"No! Shino! Don't!" Hinata shook her head. "Shirou and I were just talking!"

The redhead took a step back, with his hands up in front of him. "I was just wishing her well. I didn't mean to overstep my bounds."

"It's ok Shino, it really is." Hinata touched her chest and turned to the older boy. "I liked listening to your story."

"I'm glad." Shirou smiled. "Well, I don't want to intrude, so I'll be showing myself out."

"T-Thank you for visiting!" The small girl gave a tentative smile as the other genin left. "I hope we can talk to one another again."

"Sure!" The Uzumaki nodded. "I'd like that!" He gave a wave as he left. The blonde woman followed.

"Talking with him isn't safe. Why? Most likely his purpose was to acquire information about the Gentle Fist for his upcoming fight." Shino adjusted his glasses as his kikaichu moved back inside of him. "I know that you and Neji's relationship is strained, but you shouldn't do something you may regret in the future."

"It was nothing like that." Hinata's face was light pink. "We talked about Neji, but nothing about fighting." She started playing with her fingers. "He's more concerned about family. I think it's sweet. He, he's a good cousin for Naruto to have."

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Ibiki Morino scanned the scroll containing the reports of the ninja that had accompanied Inoichi on his rescue of Shirou Uzumaki. They all told the same story. All in all, it was a pretty straightforward mission. The most interesting aspects were the Grass genin's sensory ability and the disappearance of the Sound kunochi's body. From the suppositions that Haku Yuki had made on site, there was a strong possibility that this entire affair was related to the break in at the Hospital. That had occurred close to a month ago. Five Anbu dead. The only lead they had was Kabuto Yakushi.

The genin and his teammates vanished right as they had started looking into him. Their instructor claimed to have no knowledge of where his students had gone. Of course, he was a student of Orochimaru himself. Nothing had been gained from his sessions at T&I. He was still a Leaf ninja, and Ibiki hadn't been allowed to use his more... persuasive techniques.

The final piece of the puzzle was being unraveled right now. What had occurred to Shirou during the last half of his fight and three day abduction?

Anko had called in a surprising number of favors to be in on the debriefing. Since she was part of the mission, it normally wouldn't have been allowed. The scarred jonin made an exception. He agreed with Inoichi. Mitarashi would likely either break in, or abduct Shirou to hear the details in person. It was far better to let her stay in a more controlled environment.

As if on cue, the interview room doors opened. Shirou exited first, followed by his summons. "Ah, Morino-san!" The redhead bowed. "It's nice to see you again."

"Hmmpf." Ibiki grunted. "That's not the usual attitude people have."

"Well..." The genin scratched his cheek. "I have spent more time with you then most people. I might have gotten used to you?"

"Ha!" A grin cracked the scarred jonin's stony demeanor. "You may be right! My usual interactions with people aren't nearly as cordial as they are with you. So it's natural to assume our relationship would differ as well."

"Right." Shirou nodded. "Well, excuse me. I'm eager to find Haku." The genin gave a bow before moving past. His summons followed behind. Her gaze swept over Ibiki, but she didn't acknowledge him.

"Ha ha ha! That was great!" Anko shoulders shook, and her arms were wrapped around her stomach. "I'm going to go celebrate that Snake bastard's death with a hundred and eight plates of dango!"

"Anko." Ibiki's voice stopped the the special jonin in her tracks.

"What is it, Boss?" She turned to him while wiping a tear from one eye.

"I let you sit in on the debriefing, so you have to file a report."

"But I wasn't the one in charge! I didn't even take any notes!"

"Oh?"

The purple-haired kunochi fidgeted. "I was concentrating on remaining stoic. Y'know not cheering or applauding. That kind of thing."

"Then I suggest you start writing your report while the account is still fresh in your mind."

"Awwww... man..."

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Shirou faced off with Saber. Both he and his Servant were armed with wooden practice swords.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Haku stood to the side. "You just got out of the Hospital today. Shouldn't you rest more?"

Shirou shook his head. "I told you, Saber healed me. I'm 100%."

"If you say so..." His sister didn't seem convinced, but Shirou started his training duel with Saber anyways. It went as expected, and within moments the redhead was left on the ground. He groaned as he got to his feet. "I'd forgotten exactly how much I'm outclassed here."

"We haven't sparred one-on-one in a while." Saber nodded at the black-haired kunochi. "The majority of our fights have included Haku."

"You're right." Shirou looked her way also. "Well, Haku? You ready for some exercise?"

"Hmmmm..." His sister hummed to herself. "I want to try something, give me a minute."

"Ok." Haku took off her mask, and removed her shirt. She looked a lot smaller and frailer with only her chest-wrappings on. "What are you doing?"

"The sleeve was in the way." Haku formed a series of seals, then brought her right hand up to her left shoulder. "If this goes well, I'll have to modify my garments." She closed her eyes and ice began to form. It started from her stump, and extended into the air. Inch by inch the ice grew, forming a bone. When it was finished, another grew in the air next to it. This process continued, until a skeletal arm was suspended next to Haku's shoulder.

"You're making an arm out of ice?" Shirou peered at the floating construct.

"Yes."

"Couldn't you just use water?"

"I could, but it would lack strength and durability. It would be more flexible than what I'm doing, but that would mean it would require more concentration to maintain. If I make an arm as close as possible to my real one, then it's much easier to fight with." Water started collecting at her shoulder, and flowing forward. "Or at least that's the theory."

"Ah." Shirou watched as the liquid moved to form a hand.

"Now, it's not quite the same. There are a lot of things the water's replacing. Muscles, tendons, blood, nerves, that sort of thing. That's fine for the most part, but not for everything. Water can flow to duplicate muscle contraction. It can also move around substances to mimic blood. For a combat-worthy arm, it's not enough." Ice tendrils snaked from her body and grew throughout the appendage. "Connecting my nerves to the arm is one thing, but I need to go further. I need to connect it to my chakra network." Haku explained.

"You can do that?"

Haku nodded. "The anatomy books Zabuza-sama got me had details on over a hundred ninja's networks. They also extrapolated the similarities and where tenketsu points were most commonly located. I don't know how they got such specifics, but I used them to map out all of my personal ones." She then glanced over at Shirou. "I never could find any of yours, no matter how often we practiced."

"I seem to recall you paralyzing me without them."

"Well, my senbons work best when they disrupt an opponent's chakra, but they can limit mobility, cause numbness, or even paralyze by hitting nerve centers only."

"Ah."

"There." Haku flexed her new arm. "I haven't used this outside of practice yet, so I guess it'll be trial by fire. Hmmm..." She looked at the blue appendage, and ice began to form on the outside. "I think I'll need some thicker skin for this. The ice bones should give me enough durability to withstand Saber's weak blows, but I don't want to have to reform this again if possible."

"Does it take a lot of chakra?"

"Not too much actually, but until it's finished, I have to hold each part in my mind. So doing it quickly is... something to strive for." Haku smiled. "But I should be able to throw senbon as quickly as I once did now at least."

Shirou shook his head. "I can't believe you came up with another jutsu all on your own!"

"I've been working on it for a while, but it wasn't until Inoichi helped with my multi-tasking that everything started to come together. Now I'll have time to focus on coming up with a technique for people that my senbon won't effect."

"Can't you just freeze them?"

"You know I don't like doing that Shirou." Haku frowned.

"I meant, creating ice around them. Not inside them."

"Oh." Haku's shoulders sagged and she smiled. "No, that never works. I can't make ice faster than it breaks from their movement most of the time. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll come up with something." She lowered herself into a fighting pose. "Let's start."

"Ok!" Shirou grinned.

"Very well." Saber adjusted her stance and squared off against the brother and sister.

Despite both his and Haku's new tricks and techniques, the sparring session ended with both of them laying on their backs. Shirou sucked in lungful after lungful of air, while Saber stoically stood over them. The redhead removed his mask, and turned to his sister. "I think we made progress. Your ice arm helped."

Haku looked at him and smiled. "I think it was that new sword you used. Where'd you get it from?"

"A new sword?" Shirou blinked. "I did see a new one that Orochimaru had, but I didn't use it." He brought his hand to his chin. "Kusanagi could cut through Saber's practice sword with ease. That wouldn't make for a good spar right?"

"It would make things more difficult for me." His Servant spoke up. "But it would not be an insurmountable obstacle. If you want to learn to wield your new sword, our spars are probably the best way." The blonde swordswoman shook her head. "I think Haku was referring to your black and white pair of swords. The way they bypassed my defenses was quite surprising."

"Huh?" Shirou propped himself up with his elbows. "That wasn't a new sword, that was Hiramekarei."

"Hiramekarei?" Haku raised an eyebrow. "It didn't look anything like it. I guess you still had the chakra cloak, so it had to be the same sword..."

"I noticed that as well. I thought it was a new pair of blades that also shared that particular ability."

"Nope." Shirou shook his head. "It was Hiramekarei. I guess you could say it was an overloaded version of it."

"Overloaded?" Haku sat up.

"Yeah, like what I did with Shibuki." The redhead looked back and forth between the two women. "Ah! Neither of you were there for that! I forgot."

"Shirou..." Saber let out a sigh. "You should explain your new techniques to us so we can work better as a team."

"That's right." Haku nodded.

"Ok, well... in my fight with the archer ninja, I grabbed him with my chakra cloak. Only he was too tough, and made some sort of armor. I had a copy of Shibuki, but I didn't think a series of explosive notes would work. So I... concentrated all of its power. Altering it to be, well, More."

"More what?"

"Just more. More of what Shibuki was." Shirou cleared his throat. "That didn't work out so well. Or I guess it worked a bit too well. While I was resting in the hospital, I thought about doing it with my other summoned weapons. The black and white swords were the result."

"That seems awfully irresponsible brother." Haku's voice was cold.

"No, no." Shirou held his palms up. "I knew what the new Hiramekarei could do. I just... didn't know it would last such a short time."

"The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long."

"Exactly!" Shirou turned to his Servant. "You have a way with words Saber."

"The quote was not mine. It is a common enough saying in my home country." The petite woman replied. "Still, it seems applicable. The stress of going past your limits extracts a price. The same must be true of your swords. It is something you should keep in mind if you ever want to use that technique in the future."

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Sakura walked up to the small shack near Ino's house. It didn't look like anyone was home. Again. Still, she came this far, she might as well check. Her knock on the door was answered with a soft "Yes?" from inside.

"It's me, Sakura."

"Sakura?" Sounds of movement came from inside, before the door opened to reveal a half-dressed Haku. "Ah, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to get some more pointers about one-handed seals. I tried coming over... er... over..." The pink-haired kunochi's train of thought came crashing to an end. "H-Haku...?"

"Yes?" The door had swung open wider, revealing the other girl's arm. Her formerly missing arm.

"Your... your arm!" Sakura pointed.

"What? Is it doing something odd again?" The older kunochi glanced to her left. "No, it seems to be holding up just fine." She turned her ice-hand over in front of her, peering at it from all angles.

"You made yourself an ice arm?!" The pinkette brought her hand to her forehead as she leaned back. "Of course. That's what you've been doing. That's why I couldn't find you this last week."

Haku blinked. "Well... What you said isn't exactly un-true..." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, you had some questions?"

"Uhm, yeah!" Sakura nodded.

"Then let's proceed." The half-dressed kunochi opened the door and stepped outside.

"I can wait, if you want to put something on."

"Huh?" Haku looked down at herself. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Sakura motioned. "You only have bandages around your chest again. Wouldn't you feel more comfortable with a shirt on?"

"Oh." The black-haired girl shook her head. "It's fine." She raised her left hand. "While I'm maintaining this, I want to be able to keep track of it visually."

"Ah, I didn't mean to... Sorry!"

"It's fine." Haku smiled. "I'm happy to help. It's just too bad that I wasn't around when you came by before."

"Actually, that turned out pretty good." The pink-haired girl said over her shoulder.

"It did?"

"Yeah." Sakura nodded. "I ran into Ino and we started talking again. Heh. It's not the same as before, but I didn't realize how much I missed my old friend."

"That's nice." The pair stopped in the open field by the siblings home. "So what questions did you have?"

"The first is the Ram sign. I just can't seem to get it to work."

"Yes." Haku nodded. "One-handed, it's very similar to the Rat sign. The difference is your internal chakra flow. For the Rat, the usual gentle stream works. The Ram is all about force. Instead of collecting the chakra in your hands before releasing it as a burst, you need to make a ball of it in your coils." The dark-haired girl formed the sign as an example. "It's very similar, but you'll find a lot of signs differ in this way."

"EEEEEEKKKKKKK!" Sakura let out a high-pitched scream. "Haku! You're arm!"

"What?" The taller ninja stopped the sign with her right hand and looked to her left. The Ice arm was hanging at her side. As she watched, cracks appeared in the ice shell and her blue arm stretched nearly to the ground. "Oh, well I guess I wasn't focusing enough on it." As she girl spoke, her index finger fell off. It landed in a splash, leaving behind a few fragments of ice.

Sakura let out another scream, before settling down. "Doesn't it hurt?"

Haku shook her head. "No. The arm's hooked up to my nerves, so I can feel it. The sensation isn't painful though... just... odd."

"What's going on?" A high-pitched voice cried out. The pair of kunochi turned to see Ino running down from her house.

"Oh! Hi Ino-chan!" Sakura waved at the approaching blonde. "I was just startled by Haku's arm."

"What about her ar...ahhhhhhh!" The Yamanaka's question turned into a scream as Haku turned to face her. The movement caused her ice arm to snap off at the elbow. The hand landed on the ground, with water pooling around it.

"Hmmmm... The bigger part is keeping its form longer now that it's detached." Haku kneeled down and poked her detached limb. "I hadn't thought about it, but that's kinda interesting, don't you think?"

The two other girls crossed their arms at the same time. "NO!"

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It was nighttime, and Shirou had just finished cleaning up after dinner. Haku didn't eat much, but Saber was another matter. His Servant was able to consume more food than even him. It was impressive in a way, Zabuza had always remarked on the redhead's bottomless stomach.

Haku would be finishing up her bath soon, then it would be his turn. The makeshift barrel outside served its function well. He and his sister didn't need a luxurious tub, just one that they could soak in after a long day. The door swung open, and Haku walked in. She was drying off her long hair with a towel. "It's all yours brother."

"Right." Shirou nodded, and moved outside. He stripped quickly before entering the container of hot water. The fire underneath it was dying down. The flames weren't heating the water much anymore, but the temperature was still high. The redhead let out a sigh as he sunk down. "This is nice."

"Your nightly ritual seems important to you." Saber stood off the side, her gaze outward.

"It's relaxing. Not as good as a real bathhouse I suppose, but it's cheap."

"Indeed." The Servant lapsed into silence, and Shirou enjoyed the night sky.

All too soon the water cooled down and he had to get out. After drying himself, he went back inside his and Haku's shack. His sister was sitting on her futon with an ice arm formed. She glanced up. "That was quick. I'd have thought you'd want to take a nice long soak."

"I kinda did, but there's something that's been bugging me for a while." He stopped and blinked. "Why did you reform your arm?"

"I'm going to try and maintain it while I sleep." Haku shrugged. "I'm honestly not expecting to be able to do so, but every bit of practice helps."

"Oh." Shirou moved to his side of the room. "Now that we're alone, I'd like to test something with Saber."

"Oh?" His Servant raised an eyebrow as she followed him inside. "What would that be Shirou?"

"I didn't tell Ibiki, but you said you could remove Avalon from inside me right?"

The blonde nodded. "That's correct. It's not a difficult procedure once you know how to perform it." She brought an armored hand to her chin. "I think the best way to describe it would be as sealing something inside of yourself."

"That's pretty advanced." Haku said from the floor. "Are you sure it'll be alright?"

The Servant nodded. "For a mundane object I would agree with you, but Avalon is far from ordinary."

"Ok, then let's begin." Shirou sat down. "Is there anything I need to do?"

"Not in particular." Saber moved in front of him. "Just pay close attention."

"Right. Trace On." Shirou analyzed his body. Bones, tissue, muscles. Everything felt normal. "I'm ready."

The swordswoman nodded, and knelt beside him. She reached out to his chest, her hand stopping centimeters away. A golden glow appeared between them, and Saber began to move her arm back. As she did, a magnificent sheath materialized midair. Shirou found it hard to keep his focus split. Avalon was so beautiful and soothing. Still, he could tell that something was different inside of him. The physical properties of his body were the same, but an... essence was gone.

When she was done the glow faded, and Saber held the golden sheath in her hands. "Here it is."

Shirou gingerly took it. "Ok." He swallowed. "I'll try putting it in Haku now."

"What?" Twin voices said the same thing.

"Well, she needs it more than I do."

"Not really." His sister crossed her arms. "With one glaring counter-example, you're the one that usually gets hurt."

"I concur. As my Master, you should be the one wielding Avalon."

"But..." Shirou looked back and forth between the two women. "If Haku had Avalon, then she wouldn't have fallen for that genjutsu in the first place."

"And what would've happened to you?" His sister glared at him. "I'm not going to take it, and that's final." She turned to Saber. "Just put it back inside of him before he decides to do something stupid."

"Right."

"Wait!" Shirou held up a hand. "I have an idea." Saber stopped moving. The redhead closed his eyes. "I am the bone of my sword. Steel is my body." He felt Avalon's presence in his hand. It was a part of him. He understood it better than any sword. Even his knowledge of Kubikiribocho failed to compare. It was a long and difficult process. Saber's sheath wasn't forged by any method known to this Earth. It was created by spirits, yet Shirou knew it. He didn't have to re-imagine its components, its creation process, or its years of experience. It just was. He opened his eyes and looked down. Two Avalons were in his hands, indistinguishable from one another.

"Amazing." Saber blinked. "This is beyond your usual summons. It is a perfect copy."

"Right. Now Haku and I can both have one." Shirou handed his sister a sheath. "I'll try sealing the original back in my body first."

Saber nodded. "If you can create a perfect copy, I doubt you'll have any problems with conceptualizing it."

"I was paying attention when you removed it." Shirou closed his eyes. "I just have to..." He felt Avalon sliding into place inside him again. His physical body stayed the same, but the sheath's 'concept' merged with his own. It wasn't hard. It felt more like two halves joining together again. "Ok. Haku, it's your turn now."

His sister made a face. "Are you sure? I mean, your jutsu are pretty unique to you. Will this even work on me?"

"I have seen Avalon merged with two other people before." Saber turned to address Haku. "They were both talented... ninja, but I think that wasn't a factor. I'm confident it'll work."

"Ok." Haku let out a sigh. "Let's try it then."

"Right." Shirou stood up to move beside his sister. He knelt down and took Avalon in one hand, while placing his other on Haku's shoulder. "Trace On." The redhead stopped.

"What's wrong?" Haku looked up at him.

"Your body." Shirou swallowed. "It's different from mine. There are physical... lines present that I don't have. Your new arm really makes them stand out."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." The boy nodded. "They're like the ice contours in your arm. Barely there, but containing a great deal of power."

"You're describing my chakra pathways." Haku's eyes grew wide. "You mean you actually don't have any? They're not just hidden?"

Shirou shook his head. "If I do, then they're hidden from even myself." He turned to look at his Servant. "Saber. Will this be an issue with Avalon."

"No." She shook her head. "Your copy was perfect. The subject's physical form is immaterial. It will not affect combining their concept with Avalon's."

"Haku?" Shirou looked back down at his sister.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them to lock her gaze with his. "Do it. I trust you."

"Ok." Shirou positioned the sheath above his sister's chest, and slowly moved it down. It was a lot harder than when he'd done it to himself, but he didn't dare stop half-way. It took more than an hour before the golden glow faded away and the physical form of Avalon was no more. "Finally." Shirou flopped backwards and focused on breathing for a few minutes. "That.. that was..."

"Difficult?" Saber finished his sentence. She shook her head. "I do not understand why you had such a hard time."

"Its... Avalon's concept, was..." The redhead tried to put the feeling he had into words. "For me, it was one an the same, for Haku... it just felt different. Or I might not be skilled enough yet." He turned his head towards his sister. "How are you doing? Does anything feel off?"

Haku opened her eyes. "No. I feel... the same. Hmmmm..." She raised her left hand and a senbon made of ice flowed out of her palm. "I'll test it." She raked her weapon across her other arm. A thin line of blood followed the ice spike.

Shirou propped himself up, and stared intently at his sister's arm. "It's not working."

"I guess not." She raised her arm and twisted it, looking at both sides. A cracking sound echoed in the silence of the night. Frozen flakes of red fell down. "I didn't do that." Haku brushed the red line and it fell off. Underneath, her arm showed no sign of the wound.

"That's odd." Saber knelt down, and took the Ice ninja's arm in her hands. "I've never seen Avalon freeze blood before."

"I guess my 'concept' really was different." Haku shrugged. "Still, the wound is gone. Does this mean I'm virtually immortal like my little brother now?"

"I cannot say for certain." The Servant shook her head. "I am not well-versed on magecraft. If I were to venture a guess, I'd say Avalon is trying to heal you, but your own chakra is mixing with its efforts. The results are as you see before you. As long as your chakra system remains intact, you should recover from most wounds. The extent of your healing is something I could not guess at. Still, there seems to be no adverse effects."

"Right." Shirou nodded. "I'll remove it if you want me to Haku."

"No." The black-haired kunochi shook her head. "Let's leave it for now. I'll pay attention for any side-effects, but its potential benefits are too potent to ignore." She started collecting her frozen blood. "At the very least, it kept my sheets from being stained."

"Let's just hope that your arm doesn't fall apart in the night." Shirou smiled. "Then your sheets..."

"Stop!" Haku held up her hand. "There will be no 'wetting the bed' jokes." She glared at her brother. "Or do you want the cold foot treatment again?"

Shirou hung his head. "No, Haku-nee-sama. I'll be good."


	14. The Chunin Exams 9

Haku dreamt. As always, in her dreams she still had two arms. This time, one was made of ice. For some reason it was important that she focused on the ice arm. She couldn't say why. Zabuza chided her on her technique while fighting a blue fish-man with a two handed sword. She had to help. No wait. She had to focus on her arm. Argh! It was so confusing. From dream to dream her consciousness flickered, but her ice arm was always there. Always peripheral to everything that was occurring.

The Ice ninja stirred in her futon. The smell of miso soup came wafting into the room. She blinked and then groaned. It was morning. The dark-haired kunochi sat up and rubbed her eyes.

Cold!

Not that she minded the cold, but it was surprising. Wait... she had rubbed both eyes!

Haku brought her hands down from her face and looked at them. Her right hand was normal, her left was made of blue ice. Just like in her dreams.

Oh.

Now she remembered. Her new jutsu. She'd maintained it through the night!

Adrenaline flooded through her, and she bolted out of bed. She could hear her brother fussing around outside. Undoubtedly preparing breakfast. Haku slammed open the door. "Morning Shirou!"

The redhead looked up from the pot he was crouched next to. "Good Morning Haku. Did you sleep well?" He closed his eyes and grinned. "I like your smile."

"My smile?" Her ice hand reached up and felt her face. It brushed her cheeks. She was smiling. "Heh. I guess I did have a good night. I was a bit restless, but my arm kept its form!"

"I noticed." Shirou turned back to the pot. "That's impressive."

"I know right?" Haku flopped down next to him. "Honestly I wasn't expecting it. What's for breakfast?"

"Miso soup and plum rice balls." Shirou ladled out the broth into a bowl and handed it to her. "What are your plans for today?"

Haku shrugged. "Probably the same as normal. Train with Inoichi-san. Spar with you and Saber." She tilted her head. "I guess instead of working on my ice arm, I can focus on trying to create a new jutsu."

"Your giving up on your arm already?" Her brother's eyes moved up and down as he studied the ice appendage. "I think it's pretty impressive."

"I'm not giving up on it. I know it works now, so I need to get used to maintaining it. Yesterday I managed to hold it through our spar. Today I want to do better."

"Ah."

Haku hummed to herself as she drank the Miso soup. "I'm still not sure about keeping it around at night. Keeping it in the back of my mind all night long really messed with my dreams."

"I'm just impressed you were able to pull it off. I was sure you'd wake up in a puddle." Shirou held up his hands. "That wasn't a joke! I just meant that your a deep sleeper. What if you didn't have any dreams? How would you prevent it from melting then?"

Haku nodded. "You're right of course." She turned her ice hand over as she looked at it. "That's probably why I'm so tired. I was just dozing all night long. When you sleep, you don't dream all the time. Zabuza-sama said it was only a small percentage." The kunochi paused. "He also said that dozing was the best option, but I'm not sure I agree with that."

"Well, you don't need to maintain it through the night. We're safe here. That's one of the benefits of a village."

"Hmmmm..." The dark-haired girl nodded. "You're probably right. I'll think about keeping my arm around during the night as practice for missions, but otherwise maintaining it during the day is probably sufficient."

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"Sensei, look!"

Inoichi tilted his head. That was a lot of enthusiasm for Haku. Quite likely the most the girl had shown anything that didn't directly involve her brother. The older ninja studied the offered arm. "It's impressive Haku. Even if you've been thinking of this technique since you lost your arm, developing something on this level would normally take years. How is it functioning? Is it responding as quickly as your other arm?"

Haku made a fist and then flexed her fingers. "As far as I can tell, it's just as good as my real one." The girl bounced on her heels. "Guess when I made it?"

The Yamanaka stroked his chin. If she was this excited, the arm must've lasted a while. "When you woke up?" Haku shook her head. "Earlier?" She nodded. "Before you went to sleep?" His student's smile answered the question for him. "That's... impressive." He was going to say 'impossible', but he'd learned his lesson with applying that word to Shirou and his sister.

"Thanks!" Haku beamed. "I don't think I want to keep it active during the night again unless I need to." She shook her head. "It didn't give me a very restful sleep."

"I can imagine. Our brains need time to rest and recover." The older ninja looked at the clouds. "Like every other ability, dozing can be trained and improved."

"You can train that?"

"Well, it's less like training and more like practice, but yes. Not a commonly useful skill. Most ninja on long-term dangerous missions just forgo sleep entirely." Inoichi paused. "Still, for you it might not be a bad area to emphasize. Later. The exams are almost here, and wearing yourself out both during the day and night won't do you any good."

Haku nodded. "Yeah, one night of fitful sleep was enough for me."

"Right. So why don't we put your new arm through the motions?"

"I sparred with it yesterday. It held up nicely."

"Oh?" Inoichi blinked. "I didn't realize you made another one earlier. Does it have chakra pathways?"

"Yep, just like we discussed."

"Then it should be capable of something no other prosthesis is." The Yamanaka smiled. "In fact, it's ironic that you should be the one to make such an arm."

"Why?"

"With your one-handed signs, you could perform jutsu without chakra pathways." The older ninja chuckled to himself. "Unfortunately, I doubt anyone would be able to duplicate your technique. Especially with only one hand. Still, it could probably be adapted to legs..." He shook his head. "In any case, let's test it. Perform some jutsus."

"Hmmmmm..." Haku raced through hand signs with her ice arm, but nothing happened. "That's odd."

Inoichi stood back, and let his student practice. Time and time again, she made the seals to no effect. "I guess it doesn't have working pathways after all."

Haku shook her head. "No, I can feel them. The chakra just isn't... shaping correctly." She furrowed her brow, and tried again. This time, a nearly transparent clone of her appeared. It immediately fell on the ground before poofing away. Haku panted. "I don't understand. It worked so well yesterday."

"How so?"

"I could make seals with it in my sparring. I used substitutions, clones, and ice jutsu with it."

"That's odd." The older ninja tilted his head. "What could've changed since then? Let's try all the ones you previously used."

Haku nodded. She formed signs and called out: "Substitution!" Nothing. Again she tried. "Clone!" Nothing. She made a few more gestured and swung her arm. "Senbon!" Shards of ice flew from her fingertips and embedded themselves in the ground. "Well, at least that worked!"

Inoichi nodded. "So it does have pathways. We knew that much from the failed clone." He closed his eyes and lowered his head. "Could it be that the ice nature of your arm is effecting the jutsu? Elemental affinities shape techniques in strange ways sometimes."

"I suppose... Sensei!" Haku let out a gasp.

Inoichi opened his eyes and scanned the area. What had shocked her? Was there danger? "What is it Haku?"

She stood over the ice projectiles she'd made. Gingerly she reached down and pulled one out of the ground. "This isn't what I had envisioned making."

Instead of a senbon, Haku held a narrow dagger made of ice in her hand. A stiletto would be the most accurate category. The blade was impossibly thin. Transparent and almost invisible. Even from here, Inoichi could tell how sharp it must be.

"You say you had no problem with your jutsu when sparring yesterday?"

Haku looked up. "That's right."

The blonde ninja closed his eyes and bowed his head. "It seems incredibly unlikely that your skill in performing them has changed since then. In fact, this is an easier environment. If it was the reverse, and they failed to produce results in a spar... that would make more sense." The older ninja hummed to himself and started pacing back and forth. "One significant difference comes to mind."

"What's that?"

Inoichi opened his eyes and gestured at Haku's ice arm. "The arm you're using is new. The jutsu to create it is brand-new. There might be some subtle differences in the two arms that you made."

Haku blinked. "You think it might be something like that?"

Inoichi shrugged. "It's simple enough to test. Just make a new arm."

"Ok!" Haku closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She exhaled and turned to look at her icy hand. "Huh?"

"What is it?"

"I stopped concentrating on it completely, but the arm is still there!"

Inoichi frowned. "That's unexpected, and probably not a good thing. An out-of-control jutsu can be dangerous. Let's force it to stop."

Haku nodded. "If I damage its structure, it'll fall apart on its own." She held her left arm in front of her body, before chopping with her right. "Ow!" The blow had no effect, aside from hurting her non-icy hand.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, it just stung. I guess my ice is pretty hard, even without me supporting it with chakra."

"Taijutsu isn't my specialty." Inoichi fell into a fighting stance. "But with your permission, I'll try."

Haku nodded. The older ninja rushed forward and grabbed her arm at the wrist and shoulder. He then spun around. His first hand kept Haku standing up, while his second twisted her arm along side his body. The result was that all the torque he produced was transferred to the limb. The dark-haired kunochi looked on. She could feel the pressure in her fake arm, but it wasn't pain. A hairline crack appeared in the surface as Inoichi grunted.

Several seconds passed. "I don't think it's going to give way."

"Yeah." The older ninja let go. The pair watched as the crack in the arm's surface sealed itself up. "Did you do that?"

Haku shook her head. "No. It healed on its own." The girl paused. "It may not be able to perform jutsu well, but aside from that my arm is exceeding expectations."

Inoichi shook his head. "It's tough, requires no effort to maintain, and can reform itself. An impressive list. It's still worrisome to have an un-tested jutsu that's not behaving as predicted."

Haku shrugged. "I'll keep it around. It'll probably erode with time."

"If it doesn't?"

"Then that's good right?"

"I suppose." Inoichi wasn't convinced, but there wasn't much more to say. Internally he wavered. A ninja's body and personal jutsu were their own affair. If Haku was content to see how her ice arm worked without her concentration, then that was her choice. As her teacher, he could force the issue, but Haku and Shirou had enough trust issues. Cultivating their spirits and loyalty to the Leaf was still his primary mission. Haku's health came first, but as long as it wasn't troubling her, he'd let he do as she wished.

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Haku finished her training with Inoichi, and went back to her and Shirou's dwelling. Now was normally the time she spent thinking about new jutsu, and performing experiments. She had an idea for one that would be useful against opponent's like the ogres she'd faced. Something that could stop monsters that her senbon and ice couldn't effect. Now wasn't the time. The kunochi had a bigger problem on her hands. Or rather, with her hand.

She wasn't concentrating on her arm anymore, but it still persisted. It had even healed itself. That was the clue. The thing that was different between yesterday and today.

Avalon.

Saber's sheath, or at least a copy of it, was inside of her. She trusted Inoichi, but she didn't want to let him know about it. It wasn't her secret to tell. If Saber wished for the nature of her powers to remain unknown, then Haku would honor her request. So she couldn't tell her teacher why she wasn't surprised or worried anymore. Avalon protected. That's what Shirou's Servant had said. It healed her brother with swords. It had healed her with ice. It was undoubtedly what was behind her arm repairing itself. The logical conclusion was that it was maintaining her arm for her.

"Heh." Haku chuckled. "It's probably why my arm stayed during the night." She shook her head. "I was so excited to have maintained it myself, but it wasn't me was it?" She let out a sigh. "Still, I can't complain. I'll ask Saber if she's worried, but otherwise this is pretty cool."

Haku open and closed her hand. There was a lot of testing to do, and not many weeks until the finals.

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Shirou stood in the back of Ichiraku's. He was busy prepping some more veggies when Naruto sat down at the counter.

Teuchi walked over to the blonde. "What'll it be Naruto-kun?"

"Hmmmm..." The orange-clad genin crossed his arms and tilted his head. "I think I'll have a pork ramen!"

"Coming right up!"

Shirou finished his current batch, and moved to the counter. "Naruto! I haven't seen you in nearly a month!"

"Oh Shirou! Heh heh heh." The blonde scratched the back of his head. "I've been training with the pervy sage."

"Getting ready for the finals?"

"You know it!" Naruto's grin faded away. "Plus, I haven't had money for ramen."

Shirou frowned. "Why's that?"

"Pft!" His cousin crossed his arms. "The old pervert stuck me with the bill here a while ago! So I've had to save my money up again."

"Ouch." Shirou glanced over at Saber. She stared impassively back at him. "So why the change of heart tonight?"

"I'm celebrating!" Naruto thumbed his chest. "I summoned the Toad Boss today!"

"You have a summoning contract?"

"Yeah, the pervy sage let me sign." The blonde stuck out his chest. "I was only getting tadpoles at first, but now I learned how to use the Fo...er, the red chakra I have. It's super powerful."

"I'll say." Shirou shook his head as Teuchi placed a bowl on the counter. "I still remember our fight where you used it on me."

"Eh heh heh heh." Naruto chuckled while looking to the side. "It all turned out good though, I mean... mostly good."

"Yeah." Shirou hung his head. "It's still hard to think about Zabuza at times, but that wasn't your fault!"

"Right, people like Gatou are why we have to get strong!" Naruto held his chopsticks in a fist. He then glanced down at the bowl in front of him. "But first... Thanks for the food!" He clapped his hands together before greedily digging into his dinner.

Shirou smiled and polished a bowl while his cousin enjoyed his first course. His Servant also eyed the dish. "We'll eat at home Saber. With Haku."

She nodded. "Understood."

Shirou smiled. "I know my cooking isn't as good as Teuchi-sensei's, but I'm getting better!"

"Your cooking is fine Shirou. I have no complaints." The swordswoman looked him in the eye. "I was just thinking about how your fights in the tournament will go."

Naruto slammed down the bowl. "Shirou will win, no problem. Until he faces me! Dattebayo!"

Saber nodded. "I think your assessment is sound."

"Yep! Well, thanks for the food!" Naruto stood up, and slammed some money on the counter.

"Leaving after only one bowl?" Shirou raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well..." His blonde cousin scratched the back of his head. "Like I said, I don't have much spare cash right now."

"You could always come eat with Haku, Saber and me."

"Nah." Naruto waved a hand in front of him. "I wouldn't want to be a bother. Besides, I have to get to be early so I can wake up and track down the pervy sage again." He ran away while waving. "See you at the finals Shirou!"

"See you then, Naruto!" Shirou waved back and stared after his cousin.

Saber tilted her head. "What are you thinking Shirou?"

"Huh? Oh. I was just surprised that the last few weeks have passed so quickly. The tournament is almost upon us."

"Do not worry." The Servant closed her eyes and nodded her head. "I'm sure you will perform well."

"Heh, thanks Saber."

"I do not need thanks. It's the truth. Your skills have grown considerably in a short time. You should be proud."

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Karin paced outside of Naruto's apartment building. "What am I doing? What am I doing?" She repeatedly grumbled to herself as she went back and forth. Naruto's chakra suddenly flared. He must have woken up. The redhead paused and closed her eyes. With her mind's eye she could see the other Uzumaki's form. He was standing and stretching. Naruto then moved through his apartment, and opened something. He took an object out, and picked up some more around the room before sitting down. From his motions, Karin was fairly certain he was making himself a bowl of cereal. Or ramen.

"Think Karin, think! I can't just go and knock on his door, that would be too strange. I have to be casual. Like, I'm just walking down the street and came upon him by happenstance." The redhead pounded her fist into her palm. "Yeah! That'll work. I'll just wait around the corner and... No. What if he goes the other way? Or leaves through a window or something? He is a ninja after all. All the Leaf nins seem to take a perverse pleasure in jumping across other people's rooftops. Hmmmm..." She bowed her head in concentration.

"Hey Karin! What're you doing?" The redhead jumped two feet in the air and gave out a small cry. While she was busy planning her next move, Naruto had left his apartment and snuck up behind her.

"N-Naruto!" She could feel her face warming up. "W-What are you doing here?! Me? Ah ha ha ha ha! I was just walking around. W-What a coincidence running into you here. Right in front of your apartment." Shit! Did she say that last part out loud?

"Well, like you said it's in front of my apartment." The blonde smiled before turning to leave. "Well, it was nice to see you Karin-imouto! I have to go find the Pervy Sage!"

"W-Wait!" Karin ducked her head as Naruto turned back. "Uhm. Is the Pervy Sage the guy that's been hanging out with you all day long?"

"Yeah." The orange-clad ninja nodded. "Long white hair. Wooden sandals. A goofy expression."

"I could find him for you." No! That was coming on too strong. "N-Not that I'm helping you! It's just a favor from your big sister." She blinked. "Hey! What was with that Karin-imouto? It's Karin-Onee-sama!" Wait. It shouldn't be either. What was she doing?!

"You can?" Naruto beamed. "That'd be a great help. I spend too much time I could be training tracking him down."

"O-Of course I can! Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" Karin adjusted her glasses. "I'm a top-notch sensor! Finding one ninja will be child's play!"

"Cool!"

The redhead smiled. Perfect. He was recognizing how great she was. "Now let me concentrate." She closed her eyes. The person that had been with Naruto these last few weeks had an odd chakra. It seemed to blend into the background. If it wasn't so... perverted, it would've been hard to pinpoint. "So, uhm, how's your training going? Do anything interesting yesterday?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! I finally used my, er, red chakra and summoned the Boss Toad!"

"You can summon Toads?" Karin looked up. "Should you be telling me that?"

"Nah, it's good." Naruto crossed his arms behind his head. "I'm not going to use them in the finals. That wouldn't be proving how much I can do!"

"Oh." The female Uzumaki blinked. "Well, I found the, er, 'Pervy Sage'. He seems to be hanging around the bath house... outside the woman's side..."

"I'm not surprised." Naruto crossed his arms and nodded. "Thanks for the directions Karin! I'll see you around!" The orange-clad ninja bolted down the street while waving behind him.

"Wait! I still have too..." He was gone. Karin stomped her foot. "Argh! Never mind!"

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Shirou stared at Hiramekarei. The copy he'd summoned didn't have its bandages.

Saber moved from the edge of the training field to his side. She looked at the sword in his hands. "You seem lost in thought Shirou."

"Yeah." The redhead nodded. "Don't you think it's odd?"

"What is?"

"I can summon Hiramekarei with or without its wrappings." Shirou pulled the sword apart, and looked at each blade in turn. "It's a conscious choice I make. Ultimately, it's just aesthetic, since it doesn't last long enough for the bandages to protect it from bumps or the weather." He turned to his Servant. "It makes me think about other... possibilities that could be changed when summoning it."

"Oh? How so?

"For one, it's always Mangetsu's chakra that fills it. It used to be that Hiramekarei, was always summoned at 100% capacity. I didn't have a choice in it."

"And now?"

Shirou swung the two swords in his hands before recombining them. "I just called it forth completely empty."

"I fail to see how that would be a tactical advantage. As a melee weapon, Hiramekarei is unbalanced. It also does not seem to possess a fine edge."

"It's more like I was thinking about Odoriebi."

"The dagger you made for Karin?"

The redhead nodded. "Yeah. She was able to use it once she put her own chakra inside." A copy of the dagger he'd created appeared in his free hand. "It's just a flicker, but I think it has Karin's chakra inside."

"That is peculiar. Why so little do you think?"

"Because that's how much I saw her put in it?" Shirou shrugged. "That's the only thing I can think of."

"I think understanding your powers is a good first step, but I'm not certain this level of detail is productive."

Shirou flipped Odoriebi in the air before dismissing it. "I was thinking about Haku. If I could summon Hiramekarei with her chakra in it, then she might be able to use it."

"I see. Your sister's weakness is her stamina. At full strength, Hiramekarei possess many times her maximum." Saber stroked her chin. "I see no harm in experimenting, so why don't you try this with her?"

Shirou sighed. "I don't want to waste her time or her chakra on something that may not work. I can't fill Hiramekarei with my chakra, so there may be something more to all of this. Odoriebi may work for Karin since I made it for her. Hiramekarei might only have worked for Mangetsu." The redhead paused. "No, it's had several wielders. So it just might be very rare to be able to use it."

"Have you considered the possibility that it is your energy that is not behaving as expected?" Saber moved to stand in front of Shirou, and looked in his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Your chakra is unusual in its composition, correct? I've heard people state that it is 'Yin', while every other person's is a combination of 'Yin' and 'Yang'. That may be the issue, rather than Hiramekarei not accepting other people's energy."

Shirou blinked. "I hadn't thought of that."

"There is an easy way to test it." Saber motioned to the sword in his hands. "This copy of Hiramekarei is empty, correct?"

Shriou nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"Then let me try."

The red-headed boy reversed his grip on Hiramekarei, and handed the sword over. Saber took it, and held it in her hands. Shirou grasped the Legendary Sword as his Servant's chakra flowed into it. "10%, 20%, 30%! It's working Saber!" Hiramekarei started taking on a golden glow. "60%, 70%, 80%, I can't believe you're filling it so easily!" Saber took her eyes off of the weapon in her hands, and looked at Shirou. A small smile formed on her lips. One might even categorize it as a smirk. "100%, 110%, 120%, uhm... Saber? I think you should probably stop now..."

The Servant looked back down at the glowing sword in her hands. Hiramekarei had started to vibrate, and emit a worrisome tone. "Yes, I think I may have gone too far. My apologies, Shirou." The small blonde girl spun around twice, before releasing her grip. A golden bolt flew straight up into the air, and exploded in a spectacular fashion.

Shirou palmed his head. "Great, I bet the Anbu are going to show up and take us to talk to Ibiki-san again..."

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Karin's hands shook. Today was the day. The finals.

The redhead glanced at her fellow genin as they lined up in front of the proctor. Sasuke was missing. His chakra wasn't even in the stadium. Karin was having a hard time concentrating. The murmuring of the crowd. The stares of her fellow competitors. Everyone seemed on edge. Even Naruto's bright chakra seemed to be radiating a little more of the darkness today. Shirou's chakra was hidden, along with his face. Haku's felt agitated, along with everyone else.

The kunochi gulped. She was going to have to go first. It was all she could do to keep her hands from shaking. The odd thing was that she didn't really feel afraid. Her thoughts kept going back to the Grass. She hated it. She should be focused on her future, but it felt like her resentment was about to bubble out and burst. She'd already be an official member of the Leaf if her home village didn't want one last use of her. Show off 'their' ninja, and only then let he have her freedom! She'd show them! She'd show them just how much she'd advanced in a month! It was her last chance to rub it in their faces!

The other genin moved to the underground waiting areas, leaving her and Tenten in the area. The other kunochi looked agitated too. The pair glared at one another, waiting for the proctor's signal to begin. Karin frowned. Her opponent's chakra seemed to grow darker as they waited.

"Begin."

The bun-haired kunochi let out a wordless snarl as she back-flipped into the air. A dozen kunai came flying towards her - all of them with explosive notes attached! Karin reached for her trump card. She didn't have the luxury of keeping Odoriebi in reserve. A chain of her chakra connected the two halves of the dagger as she pulled them apart. She threw the one in her right hand, using the connection it retained with the one in her left hand to guide it. The dagger moved with her thoughts, the chain wrapping around like a snake. It swatted the kunai to the sides, and then returned to her hand.

The deflected projectiles embedded themselves in the ground. Tenten glared at her as they exploded at a safe distance. "So that's the sword Shirou made you?" The brown-haired girl's voice felt accusatory.

"Yeah, it is." Karin held her gaze. She wasn't going to back down.

"Must be nice, to be given something like than, and be allowed to use it." Tenten growled. "Instead of being given a gift on the condition to not wield it!"

"Huh?" The redhead was confused. The shock felt like a pail of water had been dropped on her. "What do you mean?"

The bun-haired girl grunted. "It doesn't matter. I'll finish you off with this! Twin Rising Dragons!"

Tenten pulled out two scrolls and set them down. This was the same move that she used to to win the preliminaries. Two dragons of smoke exploded out of them and rose into the air, twisting around the kunochi as she jumped. Karin's eyes widened. A hailstorm of various blades descended upon her. "Odoriebi! Shield!" The chakra chains reacted to her mental and verbal commands. They spun out of her daggers, and formed a wall. Blade after blade impacted against the dome she'd created. After what seemed like ages, the barraged stopped.

Karin stood panting amidst the scattered projectiles. Tenten's still wore a sneer. "Don't think it's over just yet!" She leapt back into the air.

The kunochi's chakra flowed out of her. Ninja wire! Karin hadn't seen it before. She only recognized it now because Tenten's energy was in it. The assorted weapons rose up around her, held aloft by the wire and chakra. "No! Odoriebi - Castle!" The redhead tossed one of her daggers straight up, while spinning around. This caused the chain to move around her in a spiral. Kunai, swords, scythes. All manner of weapons bore down on her. One, two, three were deflected. Instead of falling to the ground, the weapons bounced off but remained hanging in mid-air. They then rejoined the assault.

Karin cried out in pain as one got through and gashed her leg. Another cut open her arm. A third just barely missed impaling her. It left a long, red cut across her stomach. A hammer thudded against the half of Odoriebi that was in the air. It knocked it away, taking her chakra chain with it. The Uzumaki gasped. She was now defenseless. The manipulated weapons bore down on her...

There was a blur of movement, and Hayate Gekko stood in front of her. "Enough." He growled as he deflected the attack with his sword. "The fight is over! Tenten is the winner!"

Karin's hands shook as she called her weapon back to her. She stalked out of the area, to the underground area. The older kunochi stayed behind to retrieve her weapons. Tenten smirked as she watched her leave. Her eyes... they were totally dismissive. The look that someone gives to something beneath them that has no value. The same look she endured for years in the Grass Village...

Karin was pissed. To be dismissed so casually. To be defeated so utterly. To be saved by the proctor! It all felt so, so... infuriating.

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Inoichi watched the fight from the top of the stands. He looked around at the other jonin teachers. Kakashi wasn't here yet. That wasn't surprising. Baki, Gaara's teacher seemed nervous. Asuma was leaning against the rails smoking. Gai puffed up his chest and looked around. Failing to find his Eternal Rival, he moved next to the Yamanaka.

"Your student did well."

Gai nodded. "Tenten has been practicing hard. Her goal is fight Lee, so losing in the first match wasn't going to happen."

"Oh, you think Lee will advance?"

"Of course!" The green-clad ninja gave a thumbs up. "My protege cannot lose!"

"Hmmmm..." Inoichi gave a non-commital sigh. He wanted to stand up for Haku. It upset him that Gai was dismissing her. Arguing with the enthusiastic taijutsu master wasn't a winning prospect, so he changed the subject. "Tenten seemed a lot more aggressive than she did in the preliminaries."

"Her fires of youth are burning bright."

"But explosive tags off the bat?"

"Well..." Gai rubbed his chin. "You may be right about that. How can you blame her though? With all the excitement in the air! Why, I don't think I've ever seen the crowd worked up so quickly!"

The blonde nodded. "The civilians are getting into things." The cheering and yells from below them were getting louder and louder. A few scuffles had even broken out. "I wouldn't think they'd be so invested. I know a lot are interested in Sasuke's match, but still..."

"Hah! It is nice to see such energy!" Gai smiled. "I for one, applaud their passion." Inoichi raised an eyebrow. "Of course, they should limit their reactions. Physical confrontations between neighbors doesn't do anyone any good."

Down below, Tenten had finished collecting her gear. The proctor called out the next two competitors, and Haku and Lee took the field. Inoichi narrowed his eyes. "Haku's stance is wrong."

"How so?"

"She seems tense." The Yamanaka motioned. "Her shoulders are shaking."

"So I see." Gai peered down. "My Lee also seems barely able to contain himself. Hah! He must be upset that Tenten got to fight ahead of him this time!" The green-clad jonin rubbed his chin. "Are my eyes deceiving me, or does your student have more arms then she did in the preliminaries?"

"Haku's been working hard." Inoichi watched the fight start. His student had her ice arm formed. It had stayed from the day she'd first created it. So far, he hadn't noticed any side-effects... apart from its failure at most jutsu, and its odd use of stilettos instead of senbon. The jonin were standing behind Haku, and had an unobstructed view of her substitution. The kunochi teleported several yards to the side before Lee charged. The genin didn't alter his path, instead he launched a kick at Haku's original position. There was an audible thud as his leg bounced off of something.

"I see you have an impressive defense! My Strong Fist style will crush it!" The boy shouted and resumed his assault. Kicks and punches met with the same effect. Seemingly striking nothing that could be seen. "Yosh!" Lee jumped back, and removed the weights from his legs.

"That won't help." Haku's voice came from the location Lee was targeting.

"What's going on?" Gai crossed his arms. "Did she master genjutsu at such a young age? No." He shook his head. "Lee doesn't seem to be fighting an imaginary opponent. His senses are clouded, but his attacks are being stopped by something real." The green-clad jonin turned. "Tell me Inoichi, what sort of technique is this?"

"You'll see soon enough." The blonde nodded at the arena. "It looks like Lee is removing his leg weights. He's going to begin moving around. Enough speed will be able to break Haku's technique, but I don't think he'll manage it."

"Oh!?" Gai grinned. "You've peaked my curiosity! Very well! I shall watch with baited breath."

"Here I come!" Lee's form blurred.

"He's very impressive." Inoichi commented. "That's shunshin level speed, but he's not using a jutsu to achieve it, correct?"

"You are right my friend!" Gai slapped him on the back. "Lee's speed is purely taijutsu based. As such, he can attack while moving! Responding to his blows is beyond most genin!"

Echoing thuds rang out from the center of the arena. From the two jonin's point of view, it seemed like there were two Haku's now. One standing near the wall, and one that flickered in the center of the ring. Lee launched himself over and over at the flickering one. His assault seemed to have no effect.

"Do you understand it now?" Inoichi glanced over at the other jonin.

"I think I see the basics. Your student had created a clone of some sort." Gai's brow furrowed. "It appears to blink to us, but it must not to Lee. Therefore it's appearance changes with the direction you look at it." Gai closed his eyes and nodded. "So now that Lee is circling around, we get glimpses of it as well. Her hiding technique must be similar, since from our vantage point she's easily seen."

The Yamanaka smirked. "That's right. This jutsu has problems against multiple opponents, but against one person it's virtually undefeatable."

"It's not a genjutsu then. It has a physical component." Gai opened his eyes. "If that's the case, Lee can win!"

"The First Gate: The Gate of Opening!" Lee shouted from below. His speed increased, and the thudding sounds along with it.

"The Second Gate: The Gate of Healing!"

"The Third Gate: The Gate of Life!"

"What is that idiot doing?!" Gai shouted. "Opening all three so quickly! That's beyond foolish!"

"He can open three gates?" Inoichi turned to stare at the other jonin. "You taught him such a dangerous technique?"

Gai crossed his arms. "I stressed the risks to him, but he doesn't seem to have taken my words to heart. I'll have to be more strict in the future." The last sentence was ground out between clenched teeth.

Cracks began to form around the flickering Haku. With one final roar, Lee delivered a roundhouse that caused fragments of ice to scatter across the ground. "I have broken though your defense! Where are you now?" The now red-skinned boy looked around the area.

"I guess I'll have to do more then let you wear yourself out." Lee turned to the direction of Haku's voice and charged. Another mirror shattered, but it had bought the female kunochi enough time to evade the other genin's attack. "Ice Release: Frictionless terrain."

Lee turned and charged Haku again. The girl nimbly leapt out of the way and merged with a mirror floating horizontally in the sky. At the same time, the shards of her broken mirrors spread across the ground. The arena floor was transformed into a plane of ice. Lee couldn't stop his momentum, and crashed into the wall.

"Ice on the ground?" Gai raised an eyebrow. "That's a simple tactic."

"And one that's easily countered." Inoichi agreed. "But walking on perfectly smooth ice is harder than regular water. Haku can move unimpeded, but Lee now has to contend with an additional obstacle."

"That would normally be an effective tactic." The green-clad jonin smiled. "Lee may not have the skill to overcome it in the traditional way, but the Strong Fist should not be so easily dismissed."

"The Fourth Gate: The Gate of Pain!" Rock Lee's voice rang out over the arena.

"What is he doing?" Gai shouted. "That won't help him here!"

Lee tried to charge, but his feet couldn't find any purchase and he wound up falling to the ground. Two more mirrors appeared on the walls ten feet to either side of him. Haku blurred between them, senbons piercing the prone genin.

"No!" Lee shouted, and brought a fist down. The ice and earth underneath his feet shattered. He stood up and spread his feet. His hands formed into fists at his sides. "The Fifth Gate: The Gate of..."

The red-skinned ninja froze. Haku stood in front of him. "I won't let you damage yourself further." Senbons pierced Lee's skin from all directions. The genin's skin faded back to its normal color as he collapsed.

"Lee!" Gai shouted from above.

"I think you may want to take him to the hospital." Inoichi said from the side. The Yamanaka scanned the crowd. More fistfights had broken out. Something was happening. It wasn't just excitement in the air. He could now identify something manipulating his emotions. He knew he shouldn't feel anger like he was. Some kind of genjutsu? He focused his chakra. "Kai!" Nothing changed. The Yamanaka still felt agitated. He took several deep breaths. "If it isn't an illusion, then what's going on?"

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Shirou clenched his fists over and over. Soon. Soon he'd give Neji the thrashing he so richly deserved. To do that to his sister! The very idea enraged him. He kept imagining Haku in Hinata's place. So see the family bond perverted in such a way... To destroy what you should be protecting... He'd make the arrogant Hyuga suffer.

Haku walked back down the stairs to the underground prep area. She looked... frazzled. Something about her posture was off. Shirou's sister locked eyes with him, then jerked her head. He moved to the corner she'd indicated.

"Shirou, something's wrong." Her eyes darted back and forth, taking in the room. "There's some sort of genjutsu in effect."

"What do you mean?" The redhead crossed his arms. "I thought you were resistant to those. If it was something like that flute song, then others would've succumbed before you."

"I don't know. It's more subtle than that." Haku's arm rubbed her shoulder. "I just felt so... angry at Lee. At how... foolish he was in challenging me. I wanted to humiliate him. I wanted to hurt him."

Shirou's brow creased. "That's not like you at all."

"I know!" The Ice ninja's eyes went wide as she met his gaze. "I didn't even realize it until I merged with my mirror. Just like the flute music, the effect was gone! You have to be careful."

"Don't worry." Shirou placed a hand on her shoulder, covering her hand with his. "You know genjutsus have no effect on me. Rest and get ready for your next match. I have to beat Neji to an inch of his life!"

"What? No!"

The masked ninja ignored Haku's weak protests as he strode out the exit. The bright light of the sun outside caused his eyes to squint. His opponent already stood in the center of the area. "Neji Hyuga." Shirou towered over the other boy. "This is a long time coming."

"A long time? Don't make me laugh." The black-haired ninja smeared. "You know nothing about long times. How could you? You've only been here two months!"

"Yeah, and I should've beat you to a pulp when I first got here!" Shirou drew his butterfly swords. "Then you couldn't have hurt Hinata like that!"

"That failure!" Neji crossed his arms. "She should be happy she's still alive - for all the good it will do her. She'll die on a mission soon enough."

"Why you..." Shirou took a step forward, but was stopped by a hand on his chest. The proctor appeared between the two genin in a swirl of leaves.

"Hold it. Your match will start soon enough." The older ninja looked between the two combatants. "Are both of you ready?" He got two growls of ascent in reply. "Ok then... Start!" With his last word, he vanished.

"Trace On!" "Byakugan!"

Shirou and his opponent shouted the activation of their basic jutsus at the same time. The redhead felt like a bucket of cold water had been dropped over his head, as his chakra flowed through him. What the hell was he doing? Sure, Neji was a jerk, but he was also Hinata's brother. Hurting him. Humiliating him. Those wouldn't help the two siblings reconnect. Haku was right, something strange was going on.

While Shirou was stunned by his revelation, Neji struck. "You are within the field of my divination! Eight Trigrams: Two palms!" Two blows targeted the redhead's chest.

"Four palms!" Two more strikes landed.

"Eight palms!" Shirou felt four more blows.

"Sixteen palms!" Neji's attacks blurred together.

"Thirty-two palms!"

"Sixty-four palms!"

"One-Hundred-Twenty-Eight Palms!" The final declaration was combined with a flurry of motion that even Shirou's reinforced eyes couldn't follow. The force of the attacks threw him backwards, and he skidded across the ground.

"There, I have blocked all of your chakra pathways, rather than focusing on your hidden tenketsu." Neji smirked. "You were no match for me. Your fate is to die here today."

"Ng" Shirou grunted as he reversed the grip of the sword in his right hand. He dug the blade into the ground to help him stand. "Neji... Hinata was right." The masked ninja regained his fighting stance. "I'll fulfill her wishes! Hiramekarei!" The chakra he wanted to use to summon his most powerful sword didn't respond. He could feel it inside of him, rubbing against Neji's. The other genin had saturated him with foreign energy. His own was currently moving like molasses, trying to flow like normal. Shirou could feel his chakra slowly eroding the other genin's, but for now it was sealed.

"I told you, it's useless. Both your fate and chakra are sealed."

"Fate huh?" Shirou closed his eyes for a second before staring back at his opponent. "Is that what you're so upset about? Is your personal fate that horrible?"

"What?" Neji snarled. "What would you know about it?"

"Nothing really. You used the same wording in the preliminaries. It's obviously a sore subject for you."

"It'd be for you too if you wore this!" The Hyuga reached up and tore off his headguard. A simple-looking seal rested atop his brow. "This is the Caged-Bird seal! Aptly named, as it imprisons the entire branch family!"

"Branch family?"

"Anyone of the Hyuga that isn't the Clan Head or their direct line." Neji's hand that held his headguard shook. "Including my father, who wasn't the heir by a matter of seconds! He told me that the Fate of the Branch Family was to protect the Main Branch. I believed that. Even when I saw him tortured with the seal. Even when I was branded with it when Hinata turned three. No, it took something more to open my eyes!"

Shirou looked at the seal. If he could only grasp it... But it was useless. He needed to touch things that weren't weapons to understand them. "What happened?" He urged Neji to continue his story. Every second brought his chakra closer to being usable again.

"What happened?! They killed him!" The genin shouted. "A Cloud Ninja tried to kidnap Hinata, and her father killed him. In doing so, he killed the one person that could prove the Cloud were behind the kidnapping attempt. Or that there was an attempt. The Cloud threatened to go to war, unless they got the head of the person responsible..." Neji's shoulders shook. "In order to save his own life, Hiashi killed his twin brother! My father was beheaded instead! That is the true fate of the Branch Family! To be used and discarded at the Clan's leisure!"

"And what does that have to do with Hinata?"

"What?"

"She was a victim too. Someone tried to kidnap her." Shirou pointed a sword at his opponent. "For as powerful as your eyes are, you miss the most important details. By looking only at yourself, you don't see her. Isn't she innocent of all of this? Isn't Hinata like a sister to you?"

"How dare you..."

"I'm not saying the seal is just. I don't know or care about that!" The masked ninja swiped his sword to the side. "The most important thing. The only important thing is family! You've been hurt, which is why you should seek comfort from your sister. Instead you almost killed her!"

Neji threw his headguard to the ground and charged. "I'll kill you!"

"If you won't listen to reason, then I'll use force! Trace On!" Shirou threw both swords at his charging opponent. The blades both followed the same course, dodging one would avoid them both. Except he'd managed to expand the aura of the second one. It was invisible, but its area was greater.

Neji dodged the first blade, and then moved more to the side to fully avoid the second. "You can't trick me with such cheap tactics. My eyes see everything!"

"Do they see this? Hiramekarei!" The chakra sword appeared on Shirou's back as he drew his bow.

"How? I sealed all your pathways! You shouldn't even be alive, must less capable of using jutsu!"

"What can I say?" Shirou smirked. "I'm unique." A maelstrom of arrows filled the air. Each was cloaked in blue chakra.

Neji spun and dodged. He weaved through the barrage, deflecting some and avoiding others. Shirou could've overloaded the projectiles, made them explode on impact. That would've put an end to the fight, but the redhead had a different goal.

The rain of arrows ended, leaving Neji standing in an empty circle. His shadow flickered in the blue glow of the embedded projectiles. "Is that all you have? Tenten's attacks are harder to dodge than that!"

"I'm just getting started." Shirou dropped his bow and summoned a copy of Kubikiribocho. With Zabuza's sword in hand, he charged.

Neji ducked under the blade. The greatsword's reach made it difficult for him to get close enough for another strike. The pair engaged in a flurry in the center of the arena. Shirou's superior speed and reach was offset by the Hyuga's skill. Neji avoided another swipe, only to immediately roll to the side. A blue streak flew past the area he'd recently occupied.

"So you did have a plan, but against my eyes it's worthless!"

"Really? What was it you said earlier? That you're already in range of my divination?" Under his mask, Shirou smirked. "Release." The auras surrounding countless arrows flew through the air. Projectiles of pure chakra homed in on Neji from every direction, leaving no place to dodge.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!" An aura of blue chakra expanded from Neji as he spun in place. The resulting dome deflected all of the attacks aimed at him.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, and lowered into a stance like Saber's. He didn't have his Servant's speed, but he'd been on the receiving end of her charges often enough to duplicate them. As the chakra sphere started to fade, he moved. The charge trailed Kubikiribocho behind him. In a mixture of both Zabuza's and Saber's techniques, he plowed through the remains of Neji's chakra and pivoted on his right foot. It transferred his charging velocity to a horizontal spin.

The Hyuga genin started to spin again. Either Shirou's attack was too close, or the effort of starting another chakra dome so soon was too much. The resulting field was too weak to withstand the massive sword. It protected Neji from its edge, but he was thrown back from the impact. The white-robed ninja flew through the air and struck the arena's wall. He gritted his teeth and started to move forward.

In a blur, Shirou stood in front of him. His right hand held Kubikiribocho to the side, while his left gripped Neji's head. The taller ninja slammed his opponent back into the wall. "Trace On."

Neji gave a wordless shout. Chakra flowed from every one of his tenketsu points on the front of his body. The effect wasn't as powerful without the rotation to accompany it, but it still threw Shirou back. He lost his balance and slid along the ground. Shallow skid marks were left in his wake.

The redhead picked himself up. "I see now. The seal has three parts. Two triggers and an action. It can seal your eyes away. This consumes the seal, making retrieving them practically impossible. The process would also likely damage them beyond use. It can be triggered by the subject's death, or by a hand-sign."

"What?"

"I imagine the second trigger is the source of your anger. I can understand why." Shirou shoved Kubikiribocho deep in the ground in front of him, and placed both hands on its hilt. It was pose very reminiscent of Saber. "The first would make the seal protective, but being able to trigger it on demand would ensure the Branch House was always subservient. Either partially, causing great pain, or fully which would result in death. Still, I wonder how long the second trigger will remain once people learn that it exists? A way to defeat the vast majority of the Hyuga with no defense." While he spoke, Shirou let Mangetsu's chakra flow down the sword into the ground.

Neji glared across the area. Then his eyes widened just as a shadow obscured the sun. He spun again, as a thick black sludge fell from the sky. The ooze seeped through both his dome, and Shirou's chakra cloak. A golden glow burned it away as it touched the masked ninja. The Hyuga wasn't so lucky.

Neji's rotation stopped. The genin stood with an aura of shadow surrounding him. His head jerked, and the glared at the stands. "Hiashi! I'LL KILL YOU!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he charged his uncle.

Shirou looked around. The ooze had splattered over the entire crowd. The spectators had turned into a mob of shadowy figures that were fighting one another.

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Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Professor, God of Shinobi, and the Third Hokage, watched the fights with apprehension. He'd known there was a problem the instant he'd set foot in the arena. The bloodlust that permeated the area was subtle but unmistakable. His first thought wasn't that it was a genjutsu. Whatever was happening wasn't as obvious as that. At first it was just a sense of unease.

It wasn't grandstanding to say the Chunin Exams were a substitute for war. They were a way that countries could 'fight' with as little bloodshed as possible. That was misleading. The exams summoned the most important, wealthy, and influential people across several countries. A public failure could cause the host village to lose face. The resulting economic damage could be worse than any military action. It was a weak point that both you and your opponent knew about. Naturally, you'd defend it with everything you had. Sometimes that wasn't a strong enough deterrent. The prize was too valuable.

Hiruzen wouldn't have put it past any of the attending villages to try something. Even Orochimaru's presence in the second phase might've been a preamble to his former student trying to disrupt the finals. Of course, any attack was a double-edged sword. If the defenders held off any outside forces with minimal effort, their rank in the eyes of the spectators would only grow. It was a constant game of one-upmanship with potentially deadly results.

Some villages even 'attacked' themselves. Another dangerous gambit, and not one that Sarutobi would ever condone.

The Hokage and the village had been on high-alert for the last three days. Every VIP guest was accounted for. Anbu escorts were everywhere. The security of the arena itself was impeccable. So when the Professor entered the building, he was looking for signs of a genjutsu. Such a tactic was effective, hard to counter, and easy to get away with. It could be considered the most basic attack an exam could face. Thankfully, genjutsu masters who could effect such a large crowd were few and far between.

"Kai!"

Hiruzen released his chakra. The sense of unease stayed. What's more, it seemed to be ever-so-sightly growing with each passing second. Like a slow drip into a cup. It would take time, but eventually the fluid would overflow. The Hokage made some handsigns and sent his Anbu out in a search pattern. There was nothing else he could do. Canceling the exam would be unheard of. Especially for such a... vague reason. Even a jonin wouldn't necessarily notice the attack, much less a civilian.

With his hands tied, Sarutobi went to his seats. His presence was required to assure the VIPs that they were in no danger. He also had the important task of accurately judging all the genin that had made it this far. He paused as he entered. The Kazekage wasn't present. It was odd. He'd expect Rasa to attend simply because his son was a finalist. Even if all the other Sand ninja had left, he should still have been in attendance. Did this have something to do with Suna's mass exodus right after the second stage?

An Anbu subtly relayed a message that they hadn't found anything yet. Hiruzen told them to continue their search. The matches were about to start, and their unknown attacker had to be handled soon.

The first match was over quickly. The Grass genin did decently well, but her lack of combat experience showed. She was the Uzumaki Inoichi had talked to him about. One more thing to take care of before the day was out. In any case, her skills weren't at Chunin level. Tenten's might be. She'd have to perform better in her next match. It seemed like the genjutsu was effecting the combatants. Gai wasn't the sort of teacher to encourage such brutal tactics.

The second match. Haku Yuki was clearly talented. She stayed one step ahead of Lee the entire time. She also seemed to be behaving normally. The same couldn't be said of Gai's other student. Rock Lee struck him as an enthusiastic ninja. The genjutsu seemed to effect him to a rather unhealthy extent. At least he'd be outside its radius at the hospital.

Shirou Uzumaki vs. Neji Hyuga. The Hyuga Clan's prodigy was the hand's down favorite. He struck first and decisively. Shirou didn't go down. Instead the two of them started arguing. Typical genin. What wasn't typical was Neji's hostility against his own clan. To state such things in front of the whole world... Hiruzen shook his head. Then the surprise reversal. The Gentle Fist had failed. Neji displayed some impressive techniques, but Shirou seemed to have him outclassed.

Then the real attack started.

Sarutobi didn't recognize the jutsu. A gigantic golden cup appeared in the sky, and a pitch-black liquid spilled forth from it. Around the arena, Anbu launched a variety of jutsu against it. The Hokage tracked their attacks. Where their techniques struck, the dark liquid surged forward. It flowed through the various barrier, and surged toward their creators.

"It's attacking your chakra!" He yelled out, trying to warn as many of his ninja as possible. "Don't use jutsu on it! Avoid it with physical means!" The Hokage raced through ten handsigns in a split-second. "Earth Style: Stone Wall!" The section of the arena above him jutted forward, creating a shelf to shield himself and the VIPs. His technique finished just before the black ooze splashed down. With his jutsu finished, the wall was just another shaped piece of stone. The sludge rolled off of it with no effect.

Hiruzen started to move when a form materialized behind him. It wasn't a shunshin or teleportation jutsu. The sense of chakra just appeared. An arm wrapped around him. His assailant grabbed him and leapt away. The pair landed on a rooftop a short distance from the arena. The golden chalice that had appeared over the stands now hung in the air above them. Sarutobi used a substitution jutsu to escape the grasp of his assailant. His Hokage hat and robe were left behind. Underneath he wore his combat armor.

Standing in the center of the rooftop was a familiar face. The color was wrong. Long black hair cascaded around his shoulders, obscuring his visage... Underneath, instead of pale, white skin, the flesh that greeted him was dark and covered with black marking. Even with the difference, there was no mistaking the attacker.

"Orochimaru."

The Sannin smiled. "Please, these days I prefer to be called Avenger."


	15. The Chunin Exams - Final

Author's note: This chapter kinda grew out of control. Just a warning, it's length is nearly double that of previous ones. So it might take a while to read. Still, there wasn't a good place to split it in two. So I decided just to post the entire thing with this notice.

* * *

On a rooftop far away from the arena, Kabuto watched his teacher use his new-found barrier. Nothing of this dimension could pass through... or so he said. An Anbu squad was already at its edge. Probably a patrol ready to reinforce the arena or wall as needed. The Servant's initial attack had been devastating, but it hadn't really covered that great of area. Jiboro would handle any interference, and Orochimaru needed no assistance. The Leaf ninja had already launched a dozen A-Rank jutsus at the shimmering wall to no effect.

Still, it was reckless. This whole plan was. It wasn't like his teacher to behave so brazenly in the open. The fact of the matter was that Orochimaru had been... different ever since his revival. It was starting to worry the silver-haired medic. Kabuto liked having the Snake Sannin not be able to guess his motivations, but the honest truth was that they were a mystery even to himself. Did he want War? Peace? Revenge? Justice? They were just so many words. The truth as to why he followed Orochimaru wasn't just that he wanted to learn his techniques, nor was it to get access to resources that normally would've been far beyond him. No. The real reason was that he wanted to learn what a ninja should be. The problem now was that he wasn't sure Orochimaru was a good role model, or even still human.

Well, he wasn't exactly human before, but his resurrection and possession seemed to have altered him mentally as well as physically. His power had increased several fold, but at what a price?

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Two weeks ago...

The Leaf's assault had been unexpected and brutal. Most of Orochimaru's elites were dead, or off at other bases. Kabuto smirked. "Elite." While the Sound Five had been a cut above the rest, they'd been chosen for their genetic capacities - not for their experience. A waste in his opinion. While the best of the best had both a bloodline and the training to use it, Kimimaro was the only jonin-level ninja in their ranks. Heck, the last of the Kaguya clan was probably even Kage-level.

The others were certainly talented, but Kabuto was confident he could take them. Possibly all at the same time. He should've just spliced their dna to more deserving hosts. Of course, he'd tried that in the past. The results of those experiments were gruesome, even by his standards. So the genetic elite had been trained and sent off on their own.

Now look what had happened. Tatuya was in a coma. Jirobo had been clawed to within an inch of his life. Finally, Orochimaru was dead. Retrieving the bodies hadn't been hard. All three were left unguarded. Even so, the medic-nin made certain to give the Leaf ninjas a wide berth. Kabuto's bloodlust had started to rise, but rationally he knew he didn't stand a chance. Not again all of them together. Not against the summons that had killed Kimimaro.

So he retreated to a minor supply stash. There was no one else around to give their position away, and it had the resources needed to stabilize Jirobo. After that was done, Kabuto checked Tatuya's condition. He'd removed the senbons before moving her, and healed the minor damage, but she wasn't physically strong. Her body was having a hard time coping with the trauma. If she woke up, it'd still be weeks until she recovered from her near-death state. Until then, she was worthless.

It made the medic's next decision easy. He knew how to revive Orochimaru. He had a piece of the Sannin's flesh and two cursed seals to work with. Jirobo's was keeping him alive, even as it drained his chakra. Tatuya's was the reason the ice-ninja's attack continued to be so effective. What little chakra she had left was being consumed by the seal.

Of course, if he chose the other way he wouldn't have to worry about any more incompetent underlings. That was how Orochimaru thought right?

Kabuto didn't know. Sometimes he slaughtered specimens in a wasteful fashion. Other times he valued them above all else. It was an odd duality that probably lead to the loyalty he inspired. You were with him or you weren't, and you really, really, wanted to be on the Snake Sannin's good side.

With that in mind, the medic placed a head of one of the white reptiles against the kunochi's seal. "Kai!"

The effect was instantaneous. The flesh in his hand twitched and moved before elongating. The seal was consumed as Orochimaru rapidly regrew his body. The technique even created clothing for him. It seemed oddly wasteful, but the Sannin had perfected his seals over many years. It made Kabuto wonder what his robes were actually made of.

"Heh heh heh heh..." A low chuckled came from the black-haired ninja. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" He threw his head back as it turned into uncontrollable laughter.

"Orochimaru-sama, please." Kabuto looked around. "We are far from the main base, and the Leaf ninja have departed, but stealth is still preferable."

The Sannin turned around, his eyes gleaming. "You don't understand! In the years that my spirit slumbered I had an epiphany!"

"Years? It has been an hour at most."

Orochimaru blinked. "Has it?" A wide, thin smile spread across his face. "Time is so arbitrary when you don't have a body!" He chuckled. "If it has been such a short time, then my revenge is still within my grasp!"

"Your revenge?"

"Sarutobi. This will be the last time the Leaf will host the tournament while he's still Hokage." Orochimaru smirked. "I now have the knowledge to make it the last he'll ever live to see."

"What knowledge?"

"The true form of the Edo Tensei! Saber wasn't a ninja or a summons! She's a reincarnated soul with a body created from chakra! The seal on the boy's hand, it commands her loyalty, but preserves her personality!" The Sannin was nearly beside himself. "I was there when she was originally summoned. Now I see it clearly! It wasn't a regular summons, it was combination of one and the resurrection technique! We'll head to the Southern base. I have some experiments to perform."

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A few days later...

Kabuto looked on from the side as his teacher painted symbol after symbol on the ground. The Sannin's calligraphy was actually quite good. The medic didn't know much about seals, and had other duties to attend to, but Orochimaru had said today was the day.

In the east wing of the compound, Tatuya was doing better. Without the seal her chakra was starting to return. Her pulse was stronger and color was returning to her cheeks. It would still be weeks until she regained consciousness in the best case - too late for their potential attack. Jirobo had required prolonged surgery, but he was stable and conscious. With the help of the seal and a dangerous amount of drugs, he'd be ready at least.

"There." Orochimaru stood up from the meticulously drawn circle he'd just finished. "It's done."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "How is this different from a regular summons?"

The snake ninja's lips stretched into a wide grin. "First the order is reversed, the summon will happen first, then the contract. It's also targeting the Pure World. In a sense, it's like Edo Tensei with some of the details altered to mirror those of a summoning contract." The black-haired ninja's smile turned into a frown. "I don't know how the body is to be created, so I left that part out. Most likely this will just summon a spirit. However, that means we don't have to provide a sample of genetic material, and if one does appear I'll have proof that I'm on the right track."

"Makes sense." At least Kabuto trusted Orochimaru to know his seals. He was a master of the art.

"Now for some blood..." The Sannin drew a kunai and sliced open his palm. He then slammed the bloody hand onto the circle. "Summon!"

Nothing happened - at first.

Seconds seemed to stretch into hours. Orochimaru cursed and stood up. Then the circle started glowing a faint blue. The light moved inwards until it covered the entire symbol. From the pool of radiance a humanoid form rose up. He looked striking similar to Shirou, but he had hair the color of pitch and dark skin that was covered in black marking. He wore clothing Kabuto had never seen before. It consisted of a red bandana, dark hand and feet wrappings, and a long piece of red cloth tied around his waist. The young-looking boy looked left and right before throwing back his head and laughing. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! It worked! I'm reborn!" He stopped. "No, not quite. I'm still trapped but I'm also here at the same time." The summoned youth looked around. "Wait, this is... the second world. Oh, that's amusing." He tilted his head to the side. "Let me see. The ritual is still impossible... The Grail will seek to remedy that, but with me not fully there... How will it go about it? I could make a Lesser one to link to it... Hmmmm..." The being ignored the two ninja in the room while he murmured to himself. "But I'd still need to power it..."

A golden light shown from Orochimaru's left hand. As it faded, it left a image of a snake behind. The Sannin took a step forward. "Who are you? Identify yourself!"

"Me?" The boy looked up, then crossed his arms and smirked. "Ok, I'll play along." He brought a fist to his mouth and coughed. "Servant Avenger. By your summons I have come forth. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

"Yesssss..." Orochimaru drew out his response. He looked at the seal on his hand. "This lets me command you, correct?"

"Ah." The Servant grimaced. "That's right."

"Excellent." The Sannin stepped into the circle and began to move around the young-looking boy. He poked and prodded him. "Fascinating, your body seems alive, but it's not really is it?"

Avenger looked at him sideways. "That's right. It's a spiritual body created by the Grail, so it's much better than yours." The black-haired boy smiled. "For instance, I can do this." To Kabuto, he faded away. The ninja spun around looking for where he'd gone.

"Marvelous." Orochimaru's head turned to follow the now invisible boy. The Sannin let out a small gasp. "Invisible, immaterial, the perfect infiltration and defense - and it's part of your genetic abilities?"

Avenger faded back into view. "Genetic? Hardly. It's the result of being a completed soul and having a spiritual body. Just like my strength." He causally backhanded a wall, sending shards of rock flying all over the room. "My speed." He vanished, but this time Kabuto could feel the wind from his movement. The medic tried to dodge, but Avenger already held his arm. "Or my ability to consume souls..." The tattooed boy's smile turned sinister. The med-nin suddenly felt as if they had made a serious mistake.

"Stop." Orochimaru strolled towards the pair. "I've heard enough."

"Oh?"

"Yes." The Snake Sannin held up his arm with the command seal. "I know what order I'll give you."

"Careful." Avenger smirked. "You only get three, and if you use them all... well, there won't be anything keeping me from killing you will there?"

"That won't be a problem." Orochimaru smile sent chills down Kabuto's spine. "My first, and final order: Give me your body!"

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A bead of sweat fell down Kabuto's back just thinking about that day. He'd been so certain Orochimaru had made a huge mistake, but the ritual seemed to go off without a hitch. When asked, the Sannin just replied. "One plus zero is one, no matter how often you add zero."

It was disturbing. It was still Orochimaru, but occasionally oddly worded phrases like that would come out. His master also had gained some knowledge of something called 'the Grail'. Using pieces of his new body, he'd constructed the cup he was now using to create his barrier. He'd called it a shadow of a shadow of a shadow. If a thrice removed copy had this much power, and if it was just a faint shadow of the original... Kabuto didn't know what sort of powers the second or first removed Grails would possess. Let alone the original.

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Haku watched Shirou's fight from the genin area. Her brother was doing well. Even when he had a chance to land a fatal blow against Neji, he hadn't taken it. Instead Shirou used the opportunity to examine the seal on the other ninja's head. She breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever was going on hadn't effected him, just like he'd said. Haku felt a little silly for worrying, but that was what big sisters were supposed to do.

Then all hell broke loose.

It appeared in the sky, eclipsing the sun. A tsunami of black liquid fell into the stadium. Those at the top didn't stand a chance.

"Shirou!" Haku's cry was drowned out by roar of the crowd. She watched helplessly as her brother was engulfed by the shadowy attack. The kunochi focused her chakra, preparing to shunshin to Shirou's side and try and shield him. She was too late, the sludge swept across the arena floor. And Shirou... was ok! A golden glow drove it away from him!

Haku blinked.

The wave splashed off the area's center and cascaded towards the edges. Towards her! She didn't have time to think. Hiding in an ice mirror would be the safest bet, but there were other people in the room with her. People who had no idea what was happening!

She raced through the signs with her right hand. This was too important to risk doing with her icy appendage. She stuck her arm out as she yelled. "Ice Wall!"

In a split-second, frozen water filled the entrance to the arena floor. She hadn't just made a wall. Instead, Haku had filled the entirety of the short tunnel with ice.

The dark sludge struck it... and kept on going. It was slower than before, but it moved through her ice - darkening it as it went. Underneath her mask, Haku's eyes went wide. Time seemed to slow down. She could see the corrupting liquid seeping through her defense. Then it came for her. In a move that defied the laws of physics, the shadowy substance flowed through the air right towards her outstretched palm.

Haku flinched as the attack touched her. From the side, she heard a familiar voice cry out her name, but she could only look on in horror as the sludge began creeping up her arm.

There was a red blur, and then Naruto was grabbing her. The blonde ninja tried to pull her away, but as soon as he touched her arm the ooze flowed onto him. The action broke Haku out of her trance. Shirou had resisted the attack. It was undoubtedly because of Avalon. The same protection she now enjoyed... in her other arm.

Haku's ice arm struck out, grasping her right arm where the darkness was. As her frozen fingers came into contact, a golden light emerged, and the shadowy attack was driven back. Haku moved her hand up her arm, purging it as she went. With her now golden limb in front of her, she walked towards her barrier. As she touched it, the golden glow spread and drove back the sludge.

She kept her hand on the ice, and turned around. The scene that greeted her wasn't a good one.

In the center of the room, Naruto was surrounded by a red aura that was streaked with black. His eyes had turned red, and were slitted like an animal's. The Uzumaki's fingernails had elongated into claws, and he was releasing a disturbing about of chakra.

In two separate corners, Karin and Gaara were both on the ground holding their heads.

Saber was behind her. The Servant was in her battle stance, her invisible sword held low and to her side.

The other genin - Tenten and Choji - were backing away from the enraged genin in the center of the room.

Haku felt her ice barrier shudder. Something outside had struck it. A second time, and then a third. Someone was hammering it. She could feel it start to crack... A large hole had already formed on the far side. One final blow shattered what remained.

"Haku!" Shirou's form blurred down the steps. The redhead stopped next to her. "Are you ok?"

She nodded. "I am, but it got to Naruto."

Shirou took a half-step forward before Saber interrupted him. "Master. I sense another Servant. This attack must be there doing. If I can defeat them, then it will likely cause the attack to end as well."

Shirou looked behind him. "The black liquid has already evaporated, but the crowd's in a panic. If you can end this Saber, then do so."

"Understood." The petite blonde turned towards the hallway and vanished. A spiderweb of racks spread across the floor she'd been standing on.

"Karin." Shirou strode towards his prone cousin. "You need to get out of..." He was interrupted by a feral-looking Naruto pouncing on him. The redhead barely managed to interpose Kubikiribocho between himself and the attack. "Naruto! Snap out of it!" He only got a snarl in response. The redheaded boy pushed the other Uzumaki away from their cousin.

Haku moved to the kneeling redhead. "Karin, are you alright?"

She shook her head. "No. Everyone's chakra... it's... it's too much..."

"You need to get out of here!" Haku turned to the other two genin. "Everyone, leave. The black ooze is gone now, you should be safe. Tenten, Choji, take Karin and..." Haku dodged to the side with Shirou's cousin in her arms.

"Kill! Kill! Kill! I'll kill you all! Give me your blood! Mother wants your blood!" In the far corner, Gaara had also undergone a transformation. Sand was flowing from his gourd. It partly covered his body, and made him look like some monstrous hybrid. He pulled his clawed arm back, before swiping at the Ice ninja again. "Die!"

"Haku, I'll handle Naruto, can you take Gaara?" Shirou took a step back. His cousin no longer had Kubikiribocho offsetting his weight and stumbled forward. Haku nodded. "Good!" Shirou spun and slammed the flat of his greatsword into Naruto's side. The strike propelled the enraged genin into and out of the hallway. Shirou chased after him, heading back up the steps to the arena. He shouted as he moved. "Everyone else, run!"

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Inoichi looked up as the black sludge fell from the sky. His first instinct was to dodge, but even as a jonin he didn't have enough time. The attack was too wide spread. As the ooze fell around him, he was vaguely aware of Gai shouting to his side. The taijutsu master was using the sound of his voice to shield himself from the dark liquid.

The Yamanaka kept looking at the other jonin as the strange substance seeped into him. With his mental training he was somewhat aware of what was happening. His emotions were being manipulated. Unfortunately, knowing what something was doing to you was different from being able to resist it. With his eyes on Maito Gai, he could feel the respect he had for his fellow Leaf ninja so deftly avoiding the attack turn to envy. The mild amusement he'd had at Gai's enthusiasm turned to scorn. With every fiber of his being, he wanted nothing more than to ram his fist down the throat of the 'Magnificent Green Beast'. To pound him into an unrecognizable bloody mess. To kill him with his own two hands.

Of course, one of them had the advantage in a fist fight. Part of Inoichi knew this, and wasn't at all surprised when his target vanished and he felt a sharp blow to his neck. He struggled to retain consciousness as the world faded to black.

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Shirou chased after Naruto. His cousin had fallen into a berserker rage again, the same sort that he'd used to win their first fight. A red aura once again surrounded him, but this time Shirou had Mangetsu's chakra to offset that power. Zabuza's sword swung around in a long arc. Shirou aimed its edge at Naruto's chest. If the crimson energy was anything like his own, it would absorb the bulk of any damage inflicted. If he wanted to incapacitate Naruto, he couldn't hold back.

He'd prefer to talk to his cousin, but that didn't seem like a realistic possibility. At least until the wind was taken out of his sails.

The raging blonde blocked the sword with his forearm. The blade cut through his clothes. It bit deep enough to draw blood. A red stain appeared on the orange garment. If Naruto noticed or felt any pain, he didn't show it. Instead, he batted Kubikiribocho away and lunged at Shirou. The redhead spun with the momentum imparted upon his greatsword. He did a full rotation just in time to realign the weapon vertically between him and his cousin. This was the main tenet of Zabuza's style. The way to fight defensively with a sword designed purely for offense. Always keep it between you and your opponent. Turn massive overextending attacks to a defense by moving with the sword's momentum. Naruto's claws left gouge marks along the side facing him. Before Shirou could react, the enraged genin hammered the weapon again. Over and over he struck. The masked ninja couldn't react to the blows quickly enough to mount an offense. It was hard enough just to twist and turn the massive blade to intercept the other ninja's attacks. Kubikiribocho shuddered under the impacts. Shirou could read its condition with a glance, but that wasn't necessary. The cracks that appeared across its surface were obvious to anyone.

Shirou let go of his greatsword, shoving it at his cousin. He used the split-second granted him to trace a copy of Nuibari in his off-hand. He threw his new sword through his old one, while channeling chakra into the blade and the wire attached. The weakened Kubikiribocho gave way with almost no resistance. The Needle sword continued its path, impaling Naruto through the stomach. Neither the aura or his cousin's body did much to slow down Nuibari. While this led to a quick and effective strike, it did little to actually create space between the pair. It did seem to stun Naruto for a second as he looked down at his belly.

As the shards of Zabuza's sword faded, Shirou stood up straight. "Naruto, can you understand me? Let's stop this!"

A wordless cry was his only response. The blonde's speed doubled and he caught the taller ninja with a haymaker. Shirou was thrown across the arena floor. A feeling of deja-vu washed over him as he flew through the air. Once again his reinforced mask saved his life, but was torn to shreds in the process. Last time, Naruto's punch had been enough to cripple him - to end the fight. This time, he had more reasons to continue. More importantly, he also had Mangetsu's chakra that acted as a shield.

The redhead skidded along the ground, carving divots that paralleled those he'd made in his fight with Neji. He barely got to his feet before Naruto was on him again. The younger ninja's attack was stopped by Chikyuukou. Shirou drove it into the ground, and poured chakra into it. As before, the Mole Sword made the most durable shield he could form.

Naruto wasn't giving him any openings. Again, it was all the redhead could do to keep the blade between them. Nuibari's thread was still wrapped around Shirou's arm. He jumped to the side, and threw the coiled wire into the air, while drawing his chakra back out of it. The tangled mass was impossible to dodge, since it went right through Naruto's stomach. The string shrunk, pulling the entangled genin back several yards.

"Trace On." Shirou summoned his bow, and another copy of Nuibari. It wasn't an arrow, but it was designed to be thrown. With a loud 'Twang' the improvised arrow flew through the air. Three more times in rapid succession, the redhead summoned a copy of the Needle sword and shot it at Naruto. This time, Shirou didn't miss. Each shot struck a different limb. The swords themselves continued past. The ones that went through the enraged genin's arms flew into the arena's wall. The other two embedded themselves in the ground a few meters behind his target. At the end of wire was where Shirou had made a change. The final length of the string split in two and was balled up at the ends. As that part hit Naruto's limbs, the two balls acted like a bolo. The wires whipped themselves around, securely fastening themselves to their target.

The bindings drew taut, as chakra left them. The resulting pull took Naruto off his feet. The wires attached to his arms were tethered to swords furthest away. This pulled him backwards, until he was prone on the ground. The four swords pulled at his body in different directions. They held him tight. He twisted, turned, and screamed, but he couldn't get any leverage to free himself.

"Naruto." Shirou limped over. "There's nobody left in there that can hear me is there?" The blonde tried to bite him as he got close. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you hurt anyone else. Please forgive me." The blue aura around Shirou flickered out. He dropped his summoned bow as it turned to glowing motes. With his right hand, he reached behind him to grasp Hiramekarei. The redhead pulled the sword apart. "I am the Bone of my Sword." The twin halves started glowing. They stretched and curved. The flat blades shapes turned into something more reminiscent of a scimitar. The one in his right hand pulsed with a white energy, while the one in his left hand seemed to drink in all the light around it. The results were oddly symmetrical weapons. One a crescent of silvery light. The other its shadow.

Shirou stuck the white sword in the ground, and clasped the black one with both hands. He raised it above his head. The redhead paused for a moment, his eyes glistening with tears. With a sudden jerk, he drove the sword through Naruto's chest and into the ground. The red aura dimmed and went out, as the blonde stopped struggling. The Needle swords vanished, and his body slumped down around the blade that went through him and into the earth.

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Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at being in front of him. "Avenger? So you're here to avenge something my former student?"

Orochimaru laughed. "Why yes, in a way I am. Avenging vs getting revenge?" The dark-skinned man raised a long finger to his lips and paused. "I supposed it's all from one's perspective. I recently had my eyes opened in that regard."

"Oh?" The Third Hokage glanced left and right at the shimmering barrier that surrounded them. "How so?"

Avenger spread his arms. "I was shown the evil that resides in my heart, and was forced to acknowledge it as such." He smiled. "I find it suits me. Much more refreshing than the lies upon lies ninja tell each other, or themselves."

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed. "So you're evil now?"

"Have been for a while, but even an evil man thinks himself good. Why, I had told myself that this attack was to bring about change. To stop stagnation in the ninja world." The black-haired ninja let out a short laugh. "Ridiculous!"

"And you're real reason?"

"To punish you sensei. To make you feel what I did all those years ago when you drove me from the village. From the one place I called home."

Hiruzen couldn't hide the bitterness in his retort. "You did that yourself! Your experiments, the deaths, the deceit, you did not embody the Will of Fire!"

"And who made that deceit necessary? Who drove me underground? Being rejected for Hokage hurt. It showed your lack of trust in me. Your dismissal put me on this path, and I'm about to go even further than I ever dared dream!"

"Even further? What do you mean by that?"

"How you wound me, sensei. Have you forgotten my dream after all these years? I wish to know every jutsu. To learn them all. That is why I sought to extend my life." Orochimaru shook his head. "How foolish I was."

"Indeed. Your ambition knew no bounds. You have now sacrificed your humanity for it."

"Ha! My ambition was childlike in its naivete! To seek only jutsu! I should've set my sights higher!"

"Higher?"

"Yes! I wish to know everything, and now the path is open to me!" He pulled a golden cup out from underneath his robes. The surface was tarnished, and chips and cracks covered its exterior. The Servant then motioned upwards at the similar container hanging over their heads. "A shadow, of a shadow, of a shadow. I need to advance through each in turn, but eventually I'll reach the Root!"

"The Root?"

"Yes!" The Sannin's eyes gleamed. "The Root of all knowledge. Everything that has ever been known, or will ever be known! How can knowing all the jutsus in the world compare to that?"

"That cup you hold, it will take you there?" Hiruzen glanced at the two cups. He could sense a faint echo of chakra between them. He could think of no reason for his former student to lie to him at this point. So Orochimaru believed what he was saying at least, or he was insane. Either explanation seemed reasonable enough.

"This thing?" Avenger dropped the golden goblet to the ground. "Not even a shadow, but it was useful for summoning the one above us." The Snake ninja raised his foot, and stomped down on the cup, sending shards of gold spinning across the rooftop. He then gestured upwards. "That one is more. So much more. It will take me to another land. There I will continue my quest. Of course, you're in its targeted area as well, but don't worry. You'll be dead before I make the journey." The dark-skinned ninja chuckled.

"So that's the secret to your barrier? Are we still technically in a different dimension?" The Hokage looked around. "And if I win, I'm still going to disappear from the Hidden Leaf." The container in the air was the key then. If he could just distract the other ninja long enough to figure out a way to smash the cup.

Orochimaru laughed. "Keen as ever. I'm glad your age hasn't dulled your mind at least." The tattooed ninja smiled. "You're mistaken on one point. You don't possess the qualifications to go through the portal. It would leave you behind. Aside from that, you're exactly right. Nothing of our dimension can cross the barrier. I'm afraid, you're quite cut off from your allies." The Sannin lifted his head and followed Sarutobi's gaze. "You're thinking that you can escape by destroying the grail don't you?" He shook his head. "Don't bother, it doesn't have a physical form. Think of it..." A slender finger tapped his lips before Orochimaru spread his arms and shrugged. "Think of it like an ongoing jutsu, or a seal. It's much more than that of course, but the analogy is apt."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "Then why tell me?"

Avenger let out a sharp laugh. "Because I'm done with deception for now! I want you going to your death knowing your fate." The Sannin's eyes widened and his smile grew larger than possible. For a second he truly looked inhuman. "Yes! Acknowledge your fate! Curse your luck! Mourn your own death! Ha ha ha ha ha!" He coughed. "Forgive me. My... emotions are hard to control now that my revenge is at hand."

"Yes, your revenge. It's just against me. I was the one that banished you." The Hokage motioned to the side. "With what you've shown me, you could have attacked at any time. Why involve the genin and civilians in the arena like you did?"

"Oh I needed a distraction. Getting you alone so I could savor this meant creating a diversion for the Anbu." The Sannin turned to look at the arena. "It also makes a wonderful backdrop. Very fitting." He turned to look at the Hokage over his shoulder. "I could also say that the fear it's instilling in you was the point, but both of us know that's a lie. Even now you have faith in your ninja. Sure you're worried, but not in a way I could really enjoy. So I guess the real reason was that it felt wonderful. Testing my new powers. Showing others the light that I've seen. Or the darkness rather. My final gift to this world."

"So the cup will take you away?"

"In time. Nothing can stop it now. Hmmmm..." Orochimaru hummed to himself. "I suppose you're thinking if you survived long enough, the problem will fix itself? I'll be taken away from here, never to be heard from again, while you remain. Victory by default."

"The thought had crossed my mind."

"Well, you can disregard it." Avenger motioned at the grail. "To go to another dimension takes power. Specifically, it needs a vast amount of chakra... or a soul." The Servant chuckled. "Do you see the final irony now? Your death will be the very thing that propels me from here! The final loose end I have in this dimension. I'll kill two birds with one stone."

"This other dimension... That's where the rest of the Servants are, aren't they? That's why none have shown up as Saber warned us about!"

Orochimaru's eyebrows raised up. "Amazing. I'm glad this isn't a mental competition, I wouldn't stand a chance!"

Hiruzen stepped back into a combat stance. "You won't win in a physical one either!"

"As I was before against the God of Shinobi? No, probably not." Orochimaru smirked. "But I never intended to fight you. My revenge is more nuanced than that. I want you to suffer the same pain I did. To fight your teachers!" The Servant slammed his hands to the ground. "Summoning!"

A coffin rose from the ground, on it was written 'founder'. A second emerged beside it, bearing the symbol for 'two'. Hiruzen's eyes opened wide. "You're using THAT forbidden jutsu as well?" A third coffin began to rise, this one displaying 'four'. "The first two would be bad enough, but I can't let HIM be summoned as well!" The Hokage threw a brace of shuriken empowered with his chakra. They struck the rising coffin. Sarutobi made a hand sign to help focus his energy. It was faint, but he used the connection between himself and his projectiles to force the coffin back down. The resistance canceled the jutsu. It gave way with a surprising lack of difficulty.

"The third one failed, oh well." Orochimaru sounded amused. "I guess you'll have to settle for only your teachers killing you."

The coffins' lids fell down, revealing the occupants. They were unmistakable in their red, and blue armor. Hashirama and Tobirama Senju. The First and Second Hokage.

"Saru, is that you?" Hashirama looked across the roof. "How long have I been dead? You look so old."

"Sarutobi. So we've been summoned back to this world to fight you?" Tobirama shook his head. "What a pitiful situation."

"Now, now." The Sannin chided. "Those aren't the sort of emotions you should have at a time like this." From his sleeves he drew out two kunai. Each one had a tag with a complex seal written on it. Avenger's hands became shrouded with a dark chakra. He pushed the weapons into the back of the reanimated Hokage's heads. The black energy spread out from where it touched them until both of them were consumed by it.

Their faces had at first displayed no emotion, but as the corrupting presence grew they twisted into anger. Without any visible signs of them performing a jutsu, a stream of water shot towards Hiruzen as vines burst forth from the rooftop to engulf him. "Earth Release: Great Wall!" The elderly ninja slammed his hands to the ground, and a massive wall of stone erupted underneath him. He was carried to the top, out of range of his teacher's attacks.

On the rooftop below, water bubbled up. It created a lake. The vines started creeping up the newly formed structure, while jets of water flew from the lake and targeted him directly. Sarutobi dodged the projectiles and bit his thumb. "Summoning!"

From below, Orochimaru laughed. "I told you that you wouldn't receive any help! Trying to summon aid from YOUR world is futile!"

Outside, a half-dozen Anbu were watching the fight. None of their jutsu had managed to make the slightest mark on the barrier surrounding their Hokage and his foes. A blue blur landed in the middle for a split-second before rushing forward. Their shouts of warning died in their throats as the figure effortlessly moved through the dimensional rift.

Saber stood atop the lake that had been formed. Her green eyes surveyed the battlescape. "Hokage, I am here to fight the enemy Servant. Please withdraw."

The second Hokage motioned with his hands, and the water around Saber rose up. It moved to grasp her, but stopped. The liquid itself was resisting the ninja's control. At the same time, the first Hokage gave a wordless shout and charged the newcomer. Saber vanished, reappearing behind the blue-clad ninja. The reanimated brothers fell down at the same time, multiple slashes appearing across their bodies.

Hiruzen jumped down to the Servant's side. He kept one eye on the fallen corpses, watching as their bodies started reforming. "That won't work. Orochimaru's jutsu sustains them. They will continuously revive."

"So we just need to kill him." Saber moved her hands to her side, preparing to charge again. In front of her, Avenger chuckled.

The first Hokage shook his head. "No. Killing him won't end the technique. I have a jutsu that will handle all three of them, if you can provide me time."

"Saru." Hashirama stood up. "I'm sorry, but don't be hasty in your judgement. I can feel the technique and his chakra trying to manipulate me, but..." The red-clad ninja staggered and grunted. "I can fight it."

"As can I." Tobirama moved to stand next to his brother. "If your pupil thinks he can use my own technique more effectively than I can, I'll show him the weakness in his modifications."

Orochimaru's smug look had changed to one of hatred. "No! I took your wills. You can't possibly resist."

The first Hokage winced. "Sapping our personalities would grant you greater control, but also reduces our effectiveness."

The second continued. "You seem aware of such a weakness, so that's why you injected that dark chakra into us. Your two techniques are at odds with one another. I may not be myself, but I can at least direct this irrational hatred." The undead ninja started to advance on its summoner. "Now it's even too late for you to use the less effective version."

"Fine! Have it your way!" The Sannin raced through a series of hand signs, and the two reanimated corpses fell like puppets with their strings cut. "Poetic revenge will just have to take a backseat to the regular kind."

"I think not." Saber charged across the tile roof. Her hidden sword cut an arc. The other Servant tried to dodge, but didn't make it completely. His right arm fell to the ground, cut at the elbow. At the same time, blood burst from Saber's arm at the same location. The blue-clad woman grimaced and jumped back, her left hand keeping her weapon in front of her while her other hung at her side.

Avenger reached down and picked up his severed limb. He held it to his stump, and snakes flowed between the two. Within moments it was reattached. He looked over at the swordswoman. "You didn't lose your arm? It seems the Saber class's magic resistance is quite impressive."

"Magic?" Sarutobi muttered to the side.

Orochimaru opened his mouth, and a snake emerged. The reptile opened its mouth in turn, revealing a sword hilt. The Servant drew it. "My kenjutsu isn't nearly as impressive as the Servant of Swords', but I imagine I'll still win the fight." He smiled with barely restrained malice.

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2 weeks ago...

Orochimaru found himself in the mental plane again. It was the same realm he was used to, not the odd one he'd encountered with Shirou. Avenger stood before him. The Servant's glyphs softly glowed and pulsed like a heartbeat.

"What is this?" The black-haired boy looked around.

"Where you'll be spending the rest of eternity." The Sannin grinned before pouncing on his adversary.

"Nooooooooooo!" For all his previous boasting and prowess, the Servant put up hardly any resistance. More than any of his previous hosts - barring Shirou - but not by much.

Avenger stood as the white snake corpse fell to the ground around him. Kabuto was slowly backing away. Ah, yes, his apprentice hadn't seen the technique before. The silver-haired ninja made him sick. A ball of rage burned in the Servant's stomach. He wanted to kill him. He wanted to kill everyone!

No.

No he didn't.

These thoughts. This anger. It wasn't his.

"Who are you?" Kabuto asked in a whisper. "Who won?"

Orochimaru reached up to his face and twisted it. His chakra felt strange. More powerful, yet ethereal. It still responded to his thoughts. When the Sannin pulled his hand down, it was his old face that greeted his apprentice. "Now, now, Kabuto. You really shouldn't question my skill so brazenly."

His spy visibly relaxed. "I should go and check on Jirobo and Tatuya."

"By all means go." Avenger looked down at his hands. They were still deeply tanned and covered in tattoos. "I have some... adjusting to do."

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Later...

Orochimaru stretched his neck. He'd been up for more than a week straight. His new body still felt energized. This was an unexpected benefit. He didn't have much time left. His previous plan had been reduced to shambles, but the power that he now possessed made up for it.

It wasn't just power. His new vessel wasn't just a body. Information was ingrained into his mind. He had an instinctive knowledge of many things. The Holy Grail. Servants. His class, and powers. He now knew that a Servant was a completed soul placed in a shell to channel its power. With that knowledge had come a multitude of other questions.

He knew a lot about the soul he'd displaced, but all of it second hand. Very few thoughts of his host came through. Avenger wasn't a normal Servant. Somehow he'd manipulated the Grail into summoning him, despite seven other Servants already being called. The creature also hated on a level more pure than anything the Sannin had ever felt. Try as he might, he could not keep himself from occasionally succumbing to the same emotions. He still didn't know Avenger's origin or name. For all his efforts, Orochimaru couldn't gain any more knowledge about the Servant.

Adding to this, there was a constant nagging in the back of his head. The idea that he was now in two places, or at least Avenger was. His soul was with Orochimaru, but it also existed somewhere else. Not split. Not anchored like his own due to the cursed seals. Rather, the feeling he got was that a perfect copy of Avenger existed somewhere outside of this dimension. Somewhere important. The Sannin was certain he'd find this other part of 'himself', if he just continued to walk the path of the Grails. That was another subject he needed to think about. So much promise. So much power. In a way, it was already his, but he couldn't quite wrap his mind around it.

Abilities were another matter. The new feats his body was capable of were laid out before his eyes. It was either through the absorption, innate knowledge passed to the vessel he now wore, or details provided to him by the Grail itself as a Master. He knew he had weapons he could call: Tawrich and Zarich. But they were almost worthless. His own kunai were about as powerful. While his body far surpassed that of a human, he also knew it was much weaker than the average Servant. That was upsetting, but a Servant's strength was a high bar to pass, so it wasn't surprising.

By far the most interesting instinctive knowledge he had was on curses. Details on countless ones filled his mind. An almost infinite number. All powerful in their own way, and all completely pointless in a fight. Well, there was one that stood out. Verg Avesta. It reflected his wounds onto the very souls of his opponents. For the previous Avenger, it was the only curse he could use in a fight, and not very effective against Servant caliber attackers. It also only reflected pain, making it useless as anything more than a psychological bluff.

However, the Snake Sannin knew something about curses, and he had a far more durable body. Even more so now that it had been created by the Grail. It would take some more work, but he felt he was close to uncovering a way to increase the curse's potency. The proper seal to more elegantly channel the flow. To condense the spiritual damage, and make it reflect on the physical. He'd spent days on it already, and it would likely take several more to finish. The result would be worth it. He could count on one hand the number of people with bodies that could take more punishment than his.

And most of those were in the Akatsuki.

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Now.

Saber held her sword in one hand, and deflected the other Servant's attack. Despite his earlier boast, she had little difficulty in parrying his attacks. The bone ninja had been a much tougher opponent. A quick slash cut the Sannin's chest. She felt the wound being reflected back to her, but at a reduced effect. "You can reattach an arm, but that cut I gave you still bleeds."

"It's not worth healing."

"Or you can't." Saber smiled. "It's not an honorable way to fight, but you'll die from countless minor cuts if we continue."

Avenger smirked. "I'm not certain about that." He pulled back his sword and swung it down in a chopping motion. "Besides, you assume I won't kill you myself."

This was the attack she'd been waiting for. Excalibur blurred across her chest. The other Servant's swing continued, but his sword didn't cut her. A clank echoed across the rooftop as the top half of his weapon tumbled down the tiles. No matter how sharp or well-made the sword was, it wasn't a Noble Phantasm. It didn't have a rank. The other Servant's weapon never stood a chance against her Holy Sword.

The black-haired ninja cursed and leapt back. A pair of oddly shaped... daggers? Appeared in his hands. They were well made. Probably his true weapon. A swing from Excalibur scattered their shards across the rooftop. The King of Knights pressed her advantage. One centimeter. That was too deep. She could still feel the reflected wound. At that depth, it was dulled by her magical resistance, and didn't draw blood. She whipped her invisible sword around again. This time, only half a centimeter of it bit into her opponent. The wound was slight. Shallow and small, but she didn't receive a reprisal.

One-handed, and having to perfectly aim her strikes... The fight would take a while, but it was fully under her control.

Orochimaru seemed to sense this as well. He'd adjusted his stance and began concentrating solely on defense. He retreated, and she followed. Across the rooftop the pair traveled in a random-seeming pattern. More cuts accumulated. The trapped Hokage wearily watched the two of them fight. From the side, she heard him call out. "Watch out! He's trying to collect the shards!"

Saber gave a tight nod. She didn't know what Hiruzen meant, but she also wasn't foolish enough to discount the other Servant. He still moved with a surprising agility. The hundreds of cuts she'd delivered so far weren't slowing him down in the slightest.

Then she saw it. A glinting gold shard. Avenger stepped over it, and it was gone. Saber scanned the rooftop. She could make out three more shards. With a burst of prana, she broke off her attack and sprinted away. One. Two. Three. One after another, she knocked her opponent's targets away. The golden slivers flew through the air and past the barrier as if it wasn't there.

"Argh!" Orochimaru growled. He pulled out a fistful of shards from somewhere. With a shout, he stabbed the sharp edges of them into his own chest. "I'll show you what real power is!"

A sickening energy surged from his body. A black ooze started seeping out of the Sannin's eyes.

Saber wanted to charge, to deal a decisive blow while her opponent was standing still. She resisted the urge. A finishing strike would take her out as well. Instead she retreated to stand next to her human ally.

Across the rooftop, Avenger's form was swallowed by the dark liquid that now flowed from every pore. Suddenly, a hand burst from the surface. Then another, and another. A pulsating mass of flesh grew outwards at an alarming rate. A tentacle shot towards her. Saber dodged and cut it in two on instinct. She felt a stab in her left thigh. The curse was going haywire with the Servant's new body, but it was still in effect.

Avenger began thrashing. His attacks were indiscriminate, and didn't seemed to be targeting anyone or anything in particular.

Saber jumped back to join the Hokage. "I do not think I can defeat him in that form. Not without dealing fatal damage to myself as well."

"I have a technique that can stop him. I am wary to use it, but Orochimaru is my student and the Leaf is my village. It is my duty to stop him." Sarutobi's eyes narrowed, and he took a deep breath. "It will take time to perform, but he's now a stationary target."

Saber nodded. "I'll keep any of his attacks from striking you." The blonde woman moved to stand between the Third Hokage and the monstrosity that used to be Orochimaru.

Hiruzen took a deep breath, and started forming hand signs. He went slowly, making certain each sign was perfect. He was half-way through, when a red blur slammed into his former apprentice.

Saber gasped... or nearly did. The Servant was caught off guard, but she tried to keep calm. Her Master had broken through the barrier. Instead of his usual blue aura, a crimson energy surged around him. His dual swords were in their upgraded form. The left one blacker than the darkest night. All light that struck it was absorbed, making it less like the color black and more like a void in the universe in the shape of a sword. The right one now blazed with the same red chakra that cloaked him. Shirou himself looked almost feral. His hood was gone, and his mouth was twisted into a snarl as he cut into the flesh monstrosity.

A gigantic hand slammed down, seeking to crush the genin underneath it. The redhead jumped back next to his Servant.

"Shirou, you should not be here." Saber glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "This is not an adversary you can fight."

"He's hurting my precious people." The teenager growled through clenched teeth. "Like hell I'm staying away!"

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"You heard him." Haku yelled at the other genin without taking her eyes off of Gaara. "Run!"

Another tendril of sand shot towards her. The Ice ninja didn't want to waste chakra on a mirror, so instead she created a regular wall of frozen water as she leapt back with Karin in her arms. Regular was a subjective term. While not possessing as much chakra as her mirrors, Haku's ice was far more durable than what one would find in nature. The torrent of sand slammed against it and splattered to the sides. Gaara growled as he pulled his arm back, causing the sand to return.

"We can't just leave you here!" Tenten threw a brace of kunai at the foreign ninja. "We're genin too! If you and Shirou are fighting we can as well!" The retreating arm moved to intercept the projectiles. They bounced off to no effect.

"Yeah!" Choji nodded even as he accepted the nearly comatose Karin.

"Tenten, Choji, I believe you both are talented individuals, but I know myself and my brother. We grew up doing missions alongside an Anbu level ninja." Haku formed hand signs as she talked. Her ice wall grew until it stretched from the floor to the ceiling and wall to wall. "Shirou can subdue Naruto, and I can do the same for Gaara. If you're around it'll just give them more targets. Besides..." The dark-haired kunochi turned to look at them. "You have a wounded comrade that needs to be evacuated, and you have to inform the rest of the village what happened. I don't think the other ninja that avoided the initial attack will have time to go into the details with the Anbu."

"Comrade?" The bun-haired girl looked at Karin, and shifted from one foot to another. "I understand... but..." Tenten was at a loss for words. "Couldn't you just wall him in here and come with us?"

Haku placed her hand on her shoulder. "I'm friends with Gaara's sister. I can't just leave him like that. He's as much a victim as the rest of us." A thud echoed throughout the small room, as cracks appeared in the ice wall. "Well, not EXACTLY like us." The masked kunochi motioned towards the stairs. "Now go!"

Tenten and Choji looked at each other. They nodded and raced up the exit. Haku could make out a red-glow from the arena, but she couldn't see Shirou from her vantage point. Another wall of ice sealed off the only way out as the three genin left.

Even while she was talking with the other leaf ninja and performing her ice jutsu, Haku's focus never left Gaara. Despite him being on the other side of her wall, she could see him perfectly. The redhead's sand had completely enveloped his right arm. It merged with the gourd he wore on his back, and trailed off behind him like a tail. Most disturbingly, it seemed to have also melded with the right side of his face. The boy now wore an expression that could only be described as 'maniacal glee'.

Another thud, and the ice wall shook. The cracks grew deeper.

A third and final strike caused the barrier to give way. Gaara stepped through just as Haku threw three senbons at his chest.

The giant sand arm swiftly moved to block the projectiles. Gaara smiled and then swiped his arm across the room.

Haku barely managed to duck in time. Another blow came vertically. The kunochi jumped out of the way, throwing another three senbons mid-air.

This time, the sand monster's arm was out of position. The metal spikes struck home... and bounced off.

"You're wearing armor aren't you." Haku leapt back and drew another handful of senbon. "Is it strengthening your skin? Or a layer of earth I can't see? I've had experience with both."

Gaara's only response was a wordless growl. His hand shot towards her again. Haku dodged, only to find his tail homing in on her. Thankfully, she'd been preparing a shunshin, and vanished from the creature's path. The small flurry of snowflakes she left behind was crushed to the ground.

In retaliation, she threw a chakra-empowered senbon. It struck the redhead on his temple, but barely went skin-deep. Gaara reached up with his still-human hand and tore it out. It was only for a split-second, but Haku saw the hole it left behind. Almost instantaneously, sand flowed into it - erasing any sign of an injury.

''His armor repairs itself." Haku mumbled and frowned as she tried to keep her distance. Striking the same point repeatedly wouldn't work, not unless she could do so multiple times in one second. And was it her imagination, or was Temari's brother growing larger?

She jumped over another swipe of his claw. This time she attacked the limb itself. Haku's left hand delivered a chop that cut a deep groove. Gaara didn't so much as blink at the wound, which quickly re-sealed itself. He reversed his swing. Haku rolled backwards, cutting as she went.

It didn't take much effort to make her new arm a blade. It almost felt like it was flowing back to its natural form. Haku backed up and flexed her hand. She couldn't let it become too rigid. A sword for an arm had its advantages. It also had its drawbacks. You couldn't make hand signs without fingers.

Gaara needed no such respite. The claw that had previously been gouging the stones, now tore threw them with almost no resistance. The arm's reach had also grown. Gaara didn't seem like the sort of person to hold back, so where had the extra sand come from? The monster's bulk now far exceeded what could be carried in that gourd. Assuming that a sealing jutsu wasn't involved.

The sand monster moved forward slowly. His arm and tail flailing with abandon. Whatever armor jutsu he was using allowed him to focus solely on offense. He didn't allow her to gain any distance. Gaara kept advancing until he had her blocked in a corner. Haku back-flipped away from another swipe, and bounced off the wall - over and past her opponent. Now that the two had reversed positions, she had room to properly evade again.

Haku landed and started preparing another jutsu. Beneath her feet, the stones in the floor were strangely smooth.

Oh.

So he was bigger, and that was where the extra sand came from. Pulling, or crushing it from rocks would be the same principle as condensing water from the air.

Haku had a way to block that at least. The jutsu took time. More than a hundred hand signs were required. Even with her speed, it wasn't the sort of move one could pull off at a moment's notice. Gaara sensed that the kunochi had abandoned her offense. His two sand limbs flew out in rapid succession. Haku twisted and dodged out of the way. The assault drove her back. The room wasn't particularly large, and the pair moved through it with surprising speed. The kunochi felt her back press against the wall, just as the last sign was completed. "Secret Technique: Infinite Reflection!"

Ice blossomed from where she touched the floor and wall. It spread out, coating every surface until the two of them stood on a mirror. Up and down, side to side, Haku's image reflected into infinity. Under her mask, the kunochi allowed herself a small smirk as she stepped backwards into the mirror that had replaced the wall behind her.

Gaara howled and slammed his fist into her reflection.

Haku could feel the mirrors shake. They were tough, but it would only take a few blows like that to shatter them.

"Why don't you join me? Her voice came from the floor. In the mirror on the ground, Haku's reflection stood across from Gaara's. It was the only surface that contained his image. The Sand ninja blinked, and then found himself staring at his opponent again.

"Argh!" The monster's swipe went through the image of the kunochi in front of him. Haku shattered into a million pieces, but another duplicate of her moved to take her place.

From the outside, one would see Gaara sink into the floor. His image then started charging through the infinite mirrors. He was no longer in the room, but unlike Haku he didn't cast a reflection in his new prison.

Inside the mirror, he was assaulted by senbons on all sides. He smashed through image after image of the masked kunochi, but there always seemed to be more.

Haku paused. Her new technique was working wonderfully, but it was draining her chakra at an unexpected pace. Infinite reflections might be impossible to overcome, but they were also impossible to maintain. She'd hoped the futility of the situation would cause Gaara to give up, or at least present an opening. Neither seemed likely to happen.

'I have one trick left.' She though to herself. 'He'll probably be fine. I'm not sure what could hurt him the way his is now.'

Countless Hakus made hand signs, and Gaara felt the floor underneath him disappear. He fell. Past one room, then another. After a couple dozen, he collided with the floor again, but now his momentum was too great. The ice gave way without slowing him down in the slightest. His claw reached out to grab the wall, only to find out that that the saying 'smooth as ice' existed for a reason.

The redhead's body jerked as he saw something that wasn't Haku. A bright light shown from below. A light that he was falling towards. Gaining more and more momentum with each second.

Outside, there was one section of mirror that didn't face another. The ice that spread across the passageway out. It wasn't quite noon, and the sun's rays were shining directly down the staircase. It was from that section, that Gaara suddenly found himself propelled.

In a blink of an eye, he was above ground and far away from anything he could grab to halt his flight. The physical laws that governed Haku's mirrors were different. There wasn't such a thing as 'atmosphere' inside of them to place a maximum on terminal velocity. So when Gaara finally came out, he was shot over the walls and far into the the forest that surrounded the village.

Haku stepped out after him, wobbled, and nearly collapsed. "At least it worked." She took several deep breaths. "A bit too well I guess."

The Ice ninja looked around. The arena was in chaos. Ninjas surrounded by shadowy auras were fighting other ninja and each other. Even civilians seemed to be rioting. In the distance, she saw a towering... thing atop one of the nearby roofs. That was probably the cause of all of this, or at least a serious threat. One thing prevented her from leaving.

In the center of the ring was Naruto. The dirt around him was stained a dark red. At this distance, Haku couldn't tell if he was even breathing.

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Karin didn't know what was going on. The strange agitation in everyone's chakra was slowly getting stronger, and then it exploded. A source of chakra so massive and so vile, it nearly left her comatose. The female ninja had never felt anything like it. Only when it began to ebb, did she regain a sense of her surroundings. She was on the ground and someone was talking to her. She mumbled a response as best she could.

There was a sense of motion, of moving away from the corrupted chakra and towards... "Stop!" The redhead bolted upright. She was being carried on the back of the overweight ninja. What was his name? Chobi? Whatever. It didn't matter. "STOP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her carrier finally listened and skidded to a halt.

"What is it?" To the side, the bun-haired kunochi asked.

"The ground up ahead..." Karin looked from side to side. "It's a trap."

"What?" The other two ninja spoke simultaneously.

"A chakra, similar to what was at the arena, is in the ground ahead of us."

"Can we go around?"

Karin shook her head. "It's circling the area, and it's more than a hundred meters across." She looked at the other two genin. "I don't know about you, but I can't jump that far."

"So what do we do?"

The redhead climbed down off of Choji's back. "The source of it is to our right." She pointed. "It's underground, but I can pinpoint it if you can attack it."

"Leave it to me." Tenten smirked. "I don't miss."

"Forty-seven meters straight in front of you."

"That's within my range." The bun-haired kunochi leapt into the air, and threw a brace of kunai. The blades struck the ground in a tight grouping, only centimeters apart. "There."

"It's also five meters down."

"Oh." The other girl blinked. "No problem, and I finally get to use it too!" She reached into her packs and drew forth two small needles attached to long lengths of wire. She proceeded to wrap the wire around her wrists, leaving only a foot of slack. "There." She nodded at her work, looking pleased with herself. Again she jumped upwards, throwing one of the needles towards the ground.

Karin could see the chakra that filled the blade and the wire. The length of metal stretched as the chakra flowed through it. The same energy empowered the projectile. It pierced the earth easily... and then whipped back towards the group. Karin frowned. "The ground sucked all the the chakra out of the weapon as soon as it touched it."

"Yeah, when Harikuyo's chakra is pulled out, its wire constricts." Tenten crossed her arms. "So what do we do now?"

To the side, Choji had opened up a bag of chips, and was greedily eating them. He didn't pause his consumption in order to talk. In another situation it would've been impressive. He inhaled as he ate, and then exhaled when he spoke. Not a single movement, or chip, was wasted. "Who or whatever's buried there is keeping people in, and reinforcements out." His eyes narrowed. "We're going to have to fight it."

Karin swallowed, and clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. "Agreed, but how do we get it to come up?"

Tenten sighed. "I'll handle it. I wanted to save these: explosive tags aren't cheap. Now's not the time for that." She flipped into the air, and threw another brace of kunai towards the ground. They embedded themselves in a perfect circle around her first attempt.

Karin adjusted her glasses. "Good. The kunai are keeping the tags from touching the ground and draining their chakra."

The notes glowed briefly before simultaneously exploding. A geyser of dirt and stone flew into the air, leaving a crater in its wake.

"Look!" Choji pointed. "It's an oni!"

Sure enough, picking itself up from the rubble was a black-skinned demon. It had a thick mane of red hair, and wore a tan tunic and a thick purple rope for a belt. A trickle of blood flowed from a gash on its forehead. "Why you little pieces of ****! I'll tear you limb from limb for that!"

Karin took a step back at the creature's bellowing. Really, she shouldn't of expected anything else given how its chakra felt.

"This is bad." Tenten whispered. "I'm down to three explosive notes, and I don't think that'll be enough."

"Yeah." Choji nodded. "He took half a dozen to the face and is still standing."

"I think the earth protected him from most of that." Karin reached into her pouch and pulled out Odoriebi. "As long as we stay at range, we can wear him down."

"Right." Tenten pulled out a scroll and put it on the ground. "On my signal, try to immobilize him... Now!" The bun-haired kunochi once again took to the sky, unfurling the scroll around her.

Karin was familiar enough with the technique to know what was coming next. "Odoriebi! Net!" A blue chakra chain appeared between her twin daggers. The redhead waved her arms back and forth three times, catching the chain on the edges of her blades. The result was a criss-cross of links, similar to a cat's cradle. As Tenten's barrage started, the Uzumaki took a step forward and hurled the make-shift net at the ogre.

Jirobo looked like he was about to dodge, but stopped. A grin spread across his face. "Giving me pure chakra? How thoughtful!"

"My chains don't dissipate that easily!" The glowing strands impacted the giant, and wrapped around his legs. Karin could sense an increased pressure on her chakra, but the construct held. She breathed a sigh of relief and muttered. "I'm glad that worked."

"Huh?" The black-skinned demon looked down in surprise. "What is this ****?!" He looked up at the airborne kunochi, and started to move. His feet became tangled in the chains, causing him to fall prone. A multitude of weapons impaled him from the sky.

"Yes!" Choji pumped his arm. "We did it!"

Karin smiled, and let her chain detach from one dagger. She began pulling her chakra back through the other. It jerked to a stop as a massive hand reached out and clasped the glowing blue shackles. Jirobo clambered to his feet. "Don't think some pinpricks like that, thrown from a ***** like you can stop me!" He gave a tug, pulling the dagger out of Karin's grasp. The monster caught it in midair one-handed, and began to squeeze. "I'll crush your toys, then I'll crush you!" He snarled as the dagger cracked. The chain that extended from the blade shimmered and dispersed into glowing motes. The oni took a deep breath and smiled. "Ha!" There was a horrible noise of metal screeching. The half of Odoriebi in his hand exploded in a shower of blue sparks. They fell and vanished when they touched the monster's skin, or landed on the ground. "Ah, that tasted good."

"Guys?" Karin took a step back. She could feel her entire body shaking. "I... I think we may have been a bit hasty."

"Yeah..." Choji looked behind them. "We could help out at the arena or something..."

"Oh no! Don't think you're getting away after what you did to me!" Jirobo lowered his shoulder and charged at the trio of genin.

"Ah!" Choji shouted and threw a punch. His arm grew to the size of a basketball and caught the oncoming oni in the side of the head. The force of the blow knocked him to the side and made him tumble to the ground. The chubby ninja pulled out a small container that held three differently colored pills. "I wanted to save this for the final, but like Tenten said, now's not the time for that!" He popped the green ball into his mouth and bit down. Karin felt his chakra swell and double.

"Way to go Choji!" Tenten cheered from the side.

The newly empowered genin closed in on his prone opponent. He raised his hands over his head, and brought them down. In the middle of the swing, they grew to be larger than he was. A cloud of dust flew away from the pair. Choji's arms shrunk, but he quickly raised one above his head and brought it down again. Again it grew mid-swing, crushing the demon underneath. The genin began to rhythmically hammer the monster.

"Yes! Beat him down!" The brown-haired kunochi cheered.

"It's not going to be enough." Karin slowly began backing away.

"What?"

"That thing." She pointed at Jirobo, who was in the process of being pummeled by huge fists.. "It's absorbing Choyi's chakra with every hit." She shook his head. "Even with that pill of his, he's going to run out soon."

"What do we do?" Tenten patted her outfit. "My smaller projectiles won't have any effect on him. I only have a handful of explosive notes - that I can't use while Choji's next to him. Harikuyo would make quick work of it, but his chakra absorption negates it."

Jirobo raised a hand and caught Choji's next punch. The genin's arm shrunk and slipped out of his grasp. "Ha!" The Akimichi shouted and jumped into the air. He spun around, and as he fell his leg and foot swelled in size. An axe-kick the size of a tree slammed into the demonic monster. Choji sat on the ground panting. His limbs were all back to their original size. Karin could sense how exhausted the chubby ninja was.

The oni climbed to one knee and backhanded the boy before he could move away.

"Chogi's chakra is nearly gone." Karin bit her thumb. "Think, think, think." She mumbled to herself. The thought struck like a bolt of lightning. "Wait, do you have to be the one that puts chakra in Harikuyo?"

Tenten blinked. "I guess... not. Why?"

"Hold out your arm." Karin raised the half of Odoriebi she had left. "This is difficult, and a lot less efficient. I don't think I have enough chakra to do this again." A blue chain snaked out of her dagger and into the cord around Tenten's forearm. It flowed through and reached the needle in her hand. "By changing the chakra's shape, it keeps other things from altering it. Or at least makes it harder. He can't absorb it like this."

"I'll need to manipulate the cord to make this work."

"Ok." Karin focused on her chain. "I'll follow your lead."

Jirobo towered over Choji. The Ogre raised his hand to throw a haymaker at the genin. "Ha!" Tenten shouted as she threw the needle. It struck the monster in the chest and kept going. The bun-haired kunochi moved her arms and grunted. Harikuyo wobbled in midair. "No! I can't use the chakra to help it move! One hit won't be enough!"

The monster reached out to clasp the blue chain that pierced his chest. Karin felt pressure against her chain, and quickly withdrew it. The cord constricted, and the flying needle came back. Tenten caught it, as Jirobo took a staggering step towards the pair. The giant started to pick up speed as he charged them.

Karin closed her eyes. She could see the other girl's energy in the wire. It was sheathed by her own. Parts pooled in sections of the weapon, obviously meant to allow the weapon user to control the projectile's flight. "I know what to do now! Let's try it again!"

Tenten's eyes were going large at the sight of the oni bearing down on them, but she nodded. She threw the needle at his center of mass again, as Karin poured her chakra into it. Odoriebi was running out, so the Uzumaki poured what little energy she possessed into the weapon as well. Once again the attack pierced the giant's chest. This time, Harikuyo turned in midair, and flew through Jirobo from behind. Again and again it struck. Sewing together limbs, penetrating vital organs. After a few seconds Karin's chakra gave out and the blue glow faded. The damage was done. The black-skinned ogre toppled over. Its lifeless form nearly crushing the two kunochi.

The pair bent over, taking deep breaths. Karin turned to the other girl. "We did it!"

Tenten smiled back. "Yeah we did!" The brown-haired girl smiled. Her cheeks then flushed and she looked down and to her right. "You were pretty cool. Sorry for being so... aggressive in our match."

Karin blushed before smiling back. "You're pretty cool too. I'm just glad I don't have to fight you again!"

To the side, Choji pulled out another package of chips before flopping on his back.

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Hiruzen Sarutobi felt his world turn on its side for at least the seventh time today. Shirou Uzumaki was here, and he possessed the unmistakable chakra of the nine-tailed fox. The Third Hokage didn't know how he'd gotten past the barrier. Almost as soon as the commotion had started, two squads of Anbu had arrived as backup. He'd kept track of them out of the corner of his eye. His former student had claimed nothing could pass through his barrier, but to take someone like Orochimaru at his word would mean being unforgivable foolish.

The elite Leaf ninjas had tried a multitude of jutsu. Not a single one of them had any visible effect. Now Shirou and his summons had passed through it as if it wasn't even there. If they hadn't leapt into the fray without any hesitation, he might have thought they were in league with the missing nin. Shirou had been left in Orochimaru's less than tender hands for an extended period of time after all.

The redhead charged the fleshy monstrosity.

Saber interposed herself in front of him. She kept her front to the enemy, and addressed him over her shoulder. "Master Shirou, as I've stated before - this is not an opponent you can fight."

"He doesn't look so dangerous to me." The genin pulled up short. "It's flailing mindlessly, and it's not nearly as quick as you."

"I will concede that Avenger's current combat ability is greatly diminished. It is to the point that you could probably strike with impunity." The Servant sighed. "If that was the only obstacle, I could defeat him given time. In fact, if I were to use my sword's full power, the fight would end right then."

"Then why don't you?" Shirou's shoulders shook and he nearly growled the question, but he made no move to circumvent his protector.

"Every strike against him is reflected upon the inflictor." Saber moved her limp arm. "Even with my magic resistance, the effect is so great that I lost functionality in my arm when I severed his. An attack powerful enough to kill him as he stands now would result in mutual destruction."

"I have Avalon. That will protect me."

"But..." Saber's reply was interrupted as a gigantic hand slammed down at the pair's location. The both dodged the attack, and Shirou retaliated. His feral grin grew wider as he drove his two swords into the huge limb. The redhead then raced forward, dodging strikes from tentacles and slashing them in return.

Sarutobi observed him. It was obvious that the Fox's chakra was influencing him, but he wasn't mindless yet. The tailed beast's vile chakra severed Avenger's body with ease. Each strike's damage was reflected back. Some he couldn't identify, others were closer to the surface. At least the curse seemed proportional. With no clear correlation to their bodies, the wounds Shirou suffered appeared in random spots. They were also rather minor, as the redhead wasn't really inflicting a great deal of damage to something that large in the first place.

Still, it was a risky proposition. The Uzumaki's great life force, or the Fox's chakra, or the 'Avalon' he'd mentioned, one or all of them was healing the wounds Shirou suffered. If the damage was inflicted upon a more vital area... he might die before regenerating. That, however, was a secondary problem. Far more pressing was his black sword. It passed through the creature's flesh with no more resistance than the air gave it. Where it struck there was no immediate effect. Seconds later, Avenger's flesh twitched and fell lifelessly to the ground - with no apparent harm to Shirou. Instead the crimson aura around his other sword grew darker. His blade was absorbing the creature's chakra without causing any physical damage or invoking the curse. The issue remained that Orochimaru's energy was now twisted and dark. Its black energy could be seen swirling and mixing with the Fox's.

In fact, the crimson energy was slowly decreasing with every hit. Whatever chakra Naruto had gifted him, it was running out. If the shadowy, corrupting power took hold...

"Saber!" Hiruzen called out to the Servant. "Shirou's sword is drawing in Orochimaru's chakra! It'll overwhelm him!"

The blonde swordswoman didn't seem to acknowledge the warning as she ran alongside her Master. The blue-clad girl fought defensively, covering Shirou's blind spots and deflecting Avenger's attacks rather than trying to wound the monstrosity. The air in her hands shimmered, as she brought her hidden sword down on one of the genin's blades. She didn't target the absorbing sword, instead her blow struck the one in his right hand. The black and red aura flared as it met the invisible weapon...

*CRACK!*

The chakra sword snapped. As it did, its mirror blade also vanished. The red aura surrounding Shirou faded, and he stumbled forward. In a split second, Saber was underneath him. The Servant supported his body, while Hiruzen acted. "Earth Style: Stone Prison!" Solid slabs of rock erupted from the rooftop. They rose high into the sky, striking the golden cup that still floated over their heads. The walls crushed and severed several tentacles on their way up, and Sarutobi felt cuts opening in his legs, arms and stomach.

None were immediately life-threatening, not that it mattered. Orochimaru had used the Second's jutsu, and it had backfired on him. Hiruzen would use the Forth's jutsu to end things. It would cost him his soul, but it didn't seem that they were getting out of this fight without at least one casualty. At least with his technique, he could be certain the Snake Sannin would never threaten the village again. The two of them would be trapped in the Shikigami's stomach for all eternity... it wasn't how he'd hoped to spend his retirement, or his afterlife.

"Shirou, Saber, you've done well. I don't know how the two of you made it past the barrier. Even Enma was unable to answer my call through it." Saber furrowed her brow at the comment, but he continued. "Given our adversary's abilities and strength, we will not be able to win without a sacrifice. As Hokage, it is my duty to protect the village. My soul burns bright with the Will of Fire, and my method for finishing him off will ensure that Orochimaru never threatens one of my people ever again." He looked at the remains of his two teachers. "Though it will cost me my life, and trap my soul with his for all eternity, there is little choice."

"What?" Shirou started, but his Servant put her hand on his shoulder.

"Indeed," Saber nodded. "A true king puts themselves before their subordinates. It will be an honor to bear witness to your final moments."

Sarutobi bowed his head, and started making the needed hand signs again.

"Wait." The two adults turned to the exhausted Shirou. "Saber and I both can damage it without dying. There must be a way that we can defeat it without a sacrifice!"

"I wish that was the case Shirou." The blonde swordswoman looked at her right side. "In fact, if I had use of both of my arms then I could finish him off at my own expense. It would be highly risky, but I could not say my own destruction would be one hundred percent guaranteed. Even if I did perish, it would still be preferable than either of you doing so."

"Then let me be your other hand! Together we can do it!" Shirou's golden eyes blazed. "I might even take some of the damage you would! Both of us being injured but alive is the better outcome, right?"

"As your knight, I cannot allow such a risk... is something I wish I could say." Saber turned her gaze from the redhead and looked at the Hokage. Her clear green eyes drilled into him. "However, you are my Master and a trained warrior. If this is the strategy you wish to pursue, and if your liege has no objections, then I will go along with it."

Shirou turned to look at him too. "Hokage! Please let me try!"

"Hmmmm..." Sarutobi stroked his beard. "I've sent far too many children to their deaths over the years. I have no wish to do so again." He let out a sigh. "But that is the weight I must bear. If a subordinate can perform a task better than I, then I would be a poor leader not to let them try."

"There is one more issue." Saber closed her eyes. "Excalibur is powerful. Giving me support may be beyond you. The strain might be too much."

Shirou shook his head. "I've thought of that. Hiramekarei!" The chakra sword appeared on his back. A second later another one was summoned to his left hand. Instead of his usual blue, or more recently red aura, Shirou's body glowed with a golden light. "Ngh!" He grunted and fell to one knee. "Your chakra is... a lot harder to use Saber. I'm... I'm not sure how long I can hold it."

Sarutobi's eyes widened. First the Fox's chakra and now Saber's? The talents of the Uzumaki clan never ceased to amaze him.

Saber ducked under her Master's left arm and helped him rise to his feet. "Place your right hand on the hilt, Shirou. Now just let the prana flow into the sword. All you have to do is swing it with me."

The genin was panting. "I understand."

"Then I'll release my sheath." A cyclone surrounded the woman, and her sword was revealed.

Time froze. Hiruzen's world-view was shattered for the eighth time that day. This, more than anything else, made him question the very nature of life. Sarutobi was an old soul. He'd seen many things in his life, but the blade that shone with an inner light put him at a loss for words. The golden sword with glowing runes was... he couldn't describe it. To try and give it a label, even in his own mind, seemed like it would tarnish the sight before him. He could only stand spellbound as it was lifted above the pair's head. On the other side of the roof, there was a crash. Avenger must have collapsed his tomb, but the Third Hokage couldn't tear his eyes away to check.

The blade descended as two voices cried in unison: "Excalibur!"

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"Wake up."

"Ngh..."

"Wake up, you stupid brat!"

"Huh, wha?"

"I said get up and get out of here!" An angry voice boomed from above. "I'm tired of listening to your snoring."

Naruto sat up. He rubbed his bleary eyes and looked around. He was sitting in the sewer again. "Aw man! I was laying in your yucky water?! Gross!" A surge of adrenaline drove away all of his grogginess and he jumped to his feet. "What's going on? Why am I back here?" He looked around before focusing on the only other occupant of the room. "This was your doing Fox! Wasn't it?!" He pointed an accusing finger at the gigantic orange vulpine.

"Shut up." The response was growled out. "I didn't do anything. It was your own weakness that got you back here."

"What?" Naruto crossed his arms and tilted his head. "Let's see... I was waiting for my match... Shirou was fighting Neji... and... some black goo fell from the sky!" He slammed a fist into his palm. "That's it! Haku tried to protect us, but the ooze crawled through her ice... and... and..." His head dropped. "And I'm not sure what happened after that."

"You got struck by a minor curse. It quickly possessed you, which made you call on my power." The Nine-Tailed Fox snorted. "Which then completely overwhelmed you."

"Hey! It's not my fault you only hand out your power when I'm pissed... Wait." Naruto raised his head, his eyes narrowing. "When I first used it, I didn't come and ask for it. You sure didn't volunteer it this time either. So that means..." He pointed at the caged demon. "You had no control!"

"Watch it brat..."

Naruto ignored him and put his hand on his chin. "So when I'm angry, I get your chakra without you being able to do anything about it..." He rubbed his forehead. "What did Sakura say? Chakra is both mental and physical energy? You don't have a body..."

A low growl emanated from the cell.

"So I got your chakra because I was mad, and you were mad. But you're always mad. But I don't want to have to be angry to fight..."

"I'm warning you..."

"So I just have to make you not be so grumpy!" Naruto beamed at his prisoner.

A giant claw flashed out of the cage, slamming into the sewer's floor. The Fox's strike was too far away to hit, but the resulting splash drenched the orange-clad shinobi.

"What was that for?!"

"I am the embodiment of hatred! Don't think you can change my nature human!" The Kyuubi rose to its feet and roared.

"Ha!" Naruto pointed at him again. "I struck a nerve didn't I?" A shiver ran down his body. "W-Why is i-it s-s-so c-cold all of a s-sudden?"

For a second time the blonde genin awoke with a jolt. His blue eyes flew open. He was on his back. Above him was Haku, who had her ice-hand on his forehead.

"Oh good, you're ok." She gave him a smile.

Naruto couldn't help but blush. She really was cute! At least she wasn't pretending to be a boy now. "Hey Haku... uhm, what's up?"

The girl chuckled. "You kinda went berserk."

Naruto cursed under his breath. "I was hoping the Fox was lying about that part."

The Ice kunochi continued on as if she hadn't heard him. "Shirou tried to stop you, and I think he succeeded. From the amount of blood you lost, and the low level of your chakra, I'd say it was pretty brutal. He must've used his new sword to drain away that red aura of yours. It looks like doing so knocked you unconscious." She looked to the stands where civilians and ninjas were still fighting one another. "I can only hope the rest of the people that fell under the jutsu are freed as easily."

"Yeah, well..." Naruto chuckled. "I'll have to thank him." He looked around. "Where is Shirou anyways?"

Haku crossed her arms. "I suspect he ran off to fight alongside Saber." She shook her head. "I should be with him, but I need to deal with Gaara first."

"What? Is he terrorizing the village or something?" The blonde ninja looked left and right. "He was touched by that goo also?"

The black-haired ninja shook her head. "Not directly, but I think the pressure of the chakra it released was too much for him. He went berserk at nearly the same time you did."

"Then we have to take him out!" Naruto leapt to his feet.

"No, we have to save him."

"..." The blond ninja blinked. "What?"

"Gaara has had a... rough childhood. At least that's what his sister has implied." Haku looked down. "I've become friends with her over the last two weeks. So I want to save Gaara, and keep him from hurting himself or others." Her hands clenched into fists. "But I also need to be there for Shirou! Who knows what idiotic thing he'll do without me to stop him!"

Unbeknownst to Haku, the two current idiotic things Shirou was trying to do were to help a Servant empower their Noble Phantasm, and to use it against a creature that reflected all damage that was inflicted upon it.

Naruto put his hands on his hips and smiled. "Don't worry about it! Knocking sense into people is what I do best, Dattebayo!" He gave her a thumbs up. "Just leave Gaara to me." He held the pose for a few seconds, before looking around. "Uhm, where is he?"

"I couldn't deal him a telling blow, so I threw him over the walls to the east."

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Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory, was the gift from the Lady of the Lake to King Arturia Pendragon. It was the crystallized hopes for humanity's future. Its very sight put souls to rest and calmed the mind. If the First and Second Hokage were still bound to this world, the sight of it would've surely freed them. As a weapon, it was without peer. The destructive light it released was merely a product of it being a "sword that amplifies". Saber's prana, combined with that of Shirou flowed into the blade, and what came out was more than that.

The brilliant beam disintegrated and dispersed evil with it's very nature. The combined power of Saber and her sword.

Outside the dimensional rift Avenger had created, the beam didn't exist. Its energy struck the barrier and was absorbed, but not all of it was negated. The holy, purifying light poured out. It basked the entire village in its radiance. Friend and foe alike stopped fighting to gaze upon it. In the stadium, the villagers and ninjas corrupted by Angra Mainyu's touch felt the shadow lifting from their bodies. Even the unconscious ones that could no longer see the light, felt its tender embrace.

Inside, Saber fell to one knee. Her body was wracked with pain. The soul-reflection curse of Avenger took its toll. Even through her magical resistance, even though the attack was from her own energy and could not have brought her harm, even with sharing part of the retribution, the reflected damage nearly tore her to shreds. Excalibur was driven into the ground, only by putting her weight on it did the Servant not collapse. Blood flowed from the cracks in her armor. Even the holy blade itself had rivets of her life's red essence trickling down its edge.

To her side, Shirou wasn't doing much better. He was still alive, and as long as she existed, that would be enough for Avalon to save him. Or so she prayed.

Hiruzen moved to her side, his hand glowing green. "It's over. I can't sense a trace of his chakra anymore. Even the barrier is collapsing."

Saber waved him away. "Heal Shirou first, my wounds will keep until then." She raised her head. "Wait, the barrier is collapsing?"

The Hokage keeled next to the barely conscious redhead. "Yes, and it seems to be picking up pace." The old man shook his head. "He said it needed energy to work... or a soul. The irony of it feeding on its creator would sicken me... if he hadn't planned on using my sould to empower it." Hiruzen sighed. "I hope my former student wasn't lying when he said that it would take him to another dimension, and leave everyone else behind."

Saber spun her head. "Is that exactly what he said?"

Sarutobi passed his hand over Shirou's body. "I believe his exact words were that I 'lacked the qualifications'. I also think this other dimension is why no other Servants have appeared to face you." The old man chuckled. "After seeing what one did, I can't say I'm upset at that particular situation."

"I see." Saber bowed her head. "Then I think Shirou and I will be departing soon."

"Oh?" The Hokage looked up.

"We both possess the qualifications. We have each been selected by the Grail in our own way. I do not doubt it will pass up this chance to unite us with the war proper."

"I see." Hiruzen frowned. "Is there nothing I can say to change your mind?"

The Servant shook her head. "It is not a decision I can make. I'm merely guessing based on what you've just related to me. I fear neither of us has any say in the matter."

"I understand." As the Hokage spoke, the shimmering walls that had surrounded the building reached the edges of the gigantic cup in the sky. From beneath them, the same glowing field rose through the rooftop. Saber and Shirou were lifted up by it, but Sarutobi was left behind.

"Saber..." Shirou groaned and moved. "What's going on?"

"We are being taken to the War, Master. The fight for the Grail is just starting." Injured as she was, a smile still came to Saber's face.

"What..." The bloody boy pushed himself to his elbows. "What about Haku?"

The blonde swordswoman gazed out over the village. The arena seemed less chaotic now. In the distance... there was a gigantic frog and tanuki fighting? She shook her head, and refocused on the people close by. There. "She's below us on the roof. I'm afraid the Grail is not taking her."

"No!" Shirou lunged to the side, before falling back and coughing up blood. "I can't leave her! Isn't there something we can do?"

Saber closed her eyes. She was injured. Her prana levels were low. Even with Shirou's help, using Excalibur drained her. The Grail was right there, soon she'd be closer to claiming it. But... that didn't matter right now.

"Shirou, I can think of one way." She took a deep breath and willed herself to stand. "I cannot do it on my own, but if you command me, I'll be able to use Excalibur again."

The redhead nodded. "Then by my last command seal, I command you to destroy the Grail Saber!"

A sense of deja-vu filled her. "As you wish, Master." The command flowed into her, forcing her to act. The Servant didn't resist, this was for the best. Her body protested, but even death wouldn't stop a command seal. Her holy sword was brought down in an arc. "Excalibur!" A smaller stream of energy shot forth. It raced towards the grail... and was absorbed. As she knew it would be. This wasn't the actual Grail. It possessed neither a physical or spiritual presence. Rather, it was merely a portal. Her first attack had energized it, and the second did the same.

"It.. it had no effect." Shirou fell backwards.

"No. It had one." Saber looked at him, allowing herself one brief moment of emotion unrestrained by discipline. Her smile felt light and natural. One she could barely remember ever making before. "You no longer possess the qualifications to leave." Her former Master looked at her with wide eyes as he fell through the shimmering field. "Goodbye, Shirou."

Below, she saw a figure leap up to catch the boy's body. Saber could just make out a whisper as the two met midair.

"I have you brother."

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Epilogue

Six months later

Hiruzen Sarutobi made his way along the rock wall. It had taken him a long time to find this place. Even Jiraiya's help, the trail had been hard to follow. Rumors, reports, sightings, they were all well and good, but supplies were always a missing nin's weakness. You could live off the land, fashion your own weapons, but eventually you'd need a merchant for something. That meant buying, stealing, or robbing. If you knew what to look for, you could find almost anyone. Sarutobi had been a ninja for longer than most people had been alive. He knew how to find his target. Especially this time. He had always been a firm believer in the Will of Fire, and now it drove him onwards. He had to do what was best for the village, regardless of the cost.

He paused.

There were no sentries, but he could sense the subtle chakra displacement of a barrier seal. He had experience with such jutsu. One didn't get the title 'The Professor', without knowledge of most techniques. It took a while, but the old ninja slipped through without so much as a ripple.

The hard part was next. Sentries and wards were never the final obstacle when dealing with ninja. That role was always reserved for the target. Hiruzen crept down the winding corridors. He kept his chakra tight and compressed. His footsteps made no noise. He snuck through the building without alerting a soul.

"Hello Hokage." His target possessed superhuman senses, and greeted him as soon as he entered the room.

"So you noticed." Sarutobi stepped out of the shadows. "I must be getting rusty in my old age, Orochimaru."

The Snake Sannin turned around. He stood in front of a fireplace. The flame's flickering light illuminated his pale visage. "So you tracked me down. How very proactive of you." The dark-haired shinobi gave a soft chuckle. "I shouldn't be surprised. After my ill-fated attack, you really had no choice."

"Indeed." Hiruzen strolled forward. "You are an exceptional ninja with a deep burning hatred of the Leaf. It wouldn't be incorrect to call you immortal now." The old man's eyes narrowed. "How many bodies have you stolen to survive?" He held up a hand. "No, don't answer. It has no bearing on what I must do."

"Finally grown a backbone?" The Sannin smiled. "I knew you had it in you. Now that I'm a enemy of the Village Hidden in the Leaves instead of your former student... Well I guess I forced your hand."

"That's right. You opposing the Village isn't something that I can ignore." Hiruzen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I now do what I must." He suddenly looked like a weary old man. Without making a sound, he dropped to his knees and then bowed his head to the ground. "Orochimaru, there is no way I could defeat you that wouldn't cost me my own life. What I had in mind was such a pitiable end, what I had in mind. Basking in that light, it gave me hope. So I came to another conclusion." The kowtowing man took a deep breath before continuing. "You may do what you want to me. Torture me, experiment on me, kill me. Let me be the target for your bile and hatred. I beseech you, do not take the lives of any other Leaf ninja."

"Hiruzen..."

"I accept my fate. This is my failure, and I must attone. I just wish that you eventually stray from this dark path that you're walking."

"..." A long silence stretched out. "Who, may I ask, have you chosen for your replacement?"

Sarutobi looked up. "Tsunade."

"Ha! How'd you convince her to come back? She hates that village more than anything!"

"No." The former Hokage shook his head. "She loves it more than anything. That's why she had to leave before, and that's why she came back. It took an impassioned plea from Naruto to come and save his cousin, but together we convinced her."

"Hmmmm..." Orochimaru tapped his lips. "I think she'll make a fine Fifth Hokage."

"She will. I also hope that you will not be so eager to attack your former teammate as you were to kill your former teacher."

"Ah, yes. I don't believe I could ever hold any true malice for her. Well done." I smile came to the Sannin's face. "You only made one miscalculation."

"What?" The old man's head bolted up.

"You think that I still hold any animosity towards you?" Orochimaru chuckled again. "I shared a soul with All the World's Evil, and I can't say that I escaped unscathed. Not in the way you'd think though. It laid bare all the hatred I had in my heart. At the time I welcomed it, but in retrospect, I see what a fool I've been." A short laugh escaped his throat. "How ironic this is! I've been planning on sneaking back into the Leaf to do the same exact thing you just did, but I was only planning on apologising. I would still never offer my life as penance. Once again, you've surpassed me teacher."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

In a different country, something unseen to the world before emerged. A tear in space seemed to fold outwards. A kaleidoscope of colors shone through as a tall, broad-shouldered man emerged.

He cast out his senses, and uttered a small chant in a foreign language. Motes of light formed around him before scattering in all directions. One by one, they returned. Each one bringing a piece of information back to their creator. "Heh, it's just as my new apprentice said. A completely unknown world touched by the Grail." A smile came to his bearded face. "Hidden? How rare is that."

"Well, I mean there are an infinite number of hidden worlds. I can't really say how rare they are. For all I know they vastly outnumber the infinite number of non-hidden ones. Ha!"

"Still, this is more rare than that. This world's Age of Heroes is still going on." He reached down a plucked a flower from the ground. "In fact, the mana of this dimension is very unique. I permeates everything. I've never seen it's like... and that means this is going to be exciting and new!"

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, the Wizard Marshal, Dead Apostate, and master of the Second Magic: Kaleidoscope felt his spirits rise. A wholly unknown world. One that didn't seem to have split off the same dimensional tree as his homeland. Or if it had, it had done so in such a way as to be completely unrecognizable.

"This will be more fun than I've had in centuries!"

* * *

Author's note: This is the end of the Pre-shippuden time frame. I'm not sure when I'll write more, so for now I'm marking the story as completed.


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